SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December
31 , 2021
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from
to .
Commission file number 001-40117
FREEDOM ACQUISITION
I CORP.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Cayman Islands N/A
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
14 Wall Street , 20th Floor
New York , New York
10005
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
1
212-618-1798
(Registrant’s telephone number, including
area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b)
of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share FACT The New York Stock Exchange
Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 FACT WS The New York Stock Exchange
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant FACT.U The New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)
of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned
issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file
reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and
(2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days
Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted
electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant
to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☒
No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated
filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
“smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant
has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on
and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section
404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as
defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes
☒ No ☐
The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s voting and non-voting
common equity held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the closing sales price for the Class A ordinary shares on June 30, 2021,
as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, was $ 311,103,250 .
As of December 31, 2021, 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value
$0.0001 per share, and 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value
$0.0001 per share, were issued and outstanding, respectively.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
table
of contents
Page
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary
iii
Part I
1
Item 1.
Business
1
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
12
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
43
Item 2.
Property
43
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
43
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
43
Part II
44
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
44
Item 6.
[Reserved]
45
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
45
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
49
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
49
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
49
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
50
Item 9B.
Other Information.
51
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
51
Part III
52
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
52
Item 11.
Executive Compensation.
60
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
60
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
63
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
65
Part IV
66
Item 15.
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
66
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
66
i
CERTAIN TERMS
Unless otherwise stated in this Annual Report
on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”), references to:
“we,” “us,” “our,”
“company,” or “our company” are to Freedom Acquisition I Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company;
“amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association” are to our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association;
“Class A ordinary shares” are to our
Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share;
“Class B ordinary shares” are to our
Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share;
“Companies Act” are to the Companies
Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;
“directors” are to our current directors;
“founder shares” are to our Class
B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public offering and our Class A ordinary
shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination;
“Freedom Acquisition LLC” are to a
member of our sponsor, Freedom Acquisition LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company that is owned by Tidjane Thiam, our Executive
Chairman, Abhishek Bhatia, a board observer, and Adam Gishen, our Chief Executive Officer;
“initial shareholders” are to holders
of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering;
“management” or our “management
team” are to our officers and directors;
“ordinary shares” are to our Class
A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares;
“PIMCO” are to Pacific Investment
Management Company LLC
“PIMCO private fund” are to a member
of our sponsor that is affiliated with PIMCO;
“private placement warrants” are to
the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering;
“public shares” are to our Class A
ordinary shares sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or
thereafter in the open market);
“public shareholders” are to the holders
of our public shares, including our initial shareholders and management team to the extent our initial shareholders and/or members of
our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial shareholder’s and member of our management team’s status
as a “public shareholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;
“public warrants” are to the warrants
sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in
the open market);
“sponsor” are to Freedom Acquisition
I LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company;
“warrants” are to our public warrants
and private placement warrants; and
“$,” “US$” and “U.S.
dollar” each refer to the United States dollar.
ii
Cautionary Note
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary
Some of the statements contained in this Annual
Report may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies
regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or
circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,”
“continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,”
“plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,”
“would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that
a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report may include, for example, statements about:
● our
ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;
● our ability to complete our initial business combination;
● our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;
● our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial
business combination;
● our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our
business or in approving our initial business combination;
● our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
● our pool of prospective target businesses;
● our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic;
● the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;
● our public securities’ liquidity and trading;
● the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;
● the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or
● our financial performance.
The forward-looking statements contained in this
Annual Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There
can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve
a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance
to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, those factors described in “Item 1a.-Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these
forward-looking statements. Some of these risks and uncertainties may in the future be amplified by the COVID-19 outbreak and there may
be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. We undertake
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
iii
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high
degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,”
alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating
results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks
include, but are not limited to:
● We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to
achieve our business objective.
● Past performance by our management team, directors, advisors, the PIMCO private fund and their respective affiliates may not be indicative
of future performance of an investment in the Company.
● We may issue notes or other debt securities, 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.
● Our search for a business combination, and any prospective partner business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination,
may be materially adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.
● Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class
A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.
● Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent
attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public
shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders,
and our warrants will expire worthless.
● Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may
complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
● Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise
of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
● If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote
in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
● The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential
business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target or prevent us from
completing the most desirable business combination or optimizing our capital structure.
● If the net proceeds from our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account
are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of our initial public offering, it could limit
the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will
depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
● We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of our initial public offering
or during any Extension Period, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our
public shares and liquidate.
iv
● You are not entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
● The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of our initial public offering
or during any Extension Period may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit
the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution
deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
● Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult
for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders
may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders,
and our warrants will expire worthless.
● We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to
adversely affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.
● The NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in
our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
● You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore,
to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
● If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination,
or fails to comply with the procedures for submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
● If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer
rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will
lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
● We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants
worthless.
● Certain members of our management team may be involved in and have a greater financial interest in the performance of other entities
with which they are affiliated, and such activities may create conflicts of interest in making decisions on our behalf.
● Our initial shareholders stand to make a substantial profit on the founder shares even if an initial business combination subsequently
declines in value or is unprofitable for our public shareholders, and may have an incentive to recommend such an initial business combination
to our shareholders.
● If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety
of additional risks that may adversely affect us.
v
Part I
Item 1. Business
General
We are a blank check company, incorporated as
a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization
or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout Annual Report as our initial business combination.
While we may pursue an initial business combination
with any target business and in any sector or geographical location, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination
in the area of Financial Services, in businesses that are technology-enabled and demonstrate growth and scalability potential. We anticipate
that these target businesses may be located in developed markets, such as North America or Europe, or emerging markets, which may include
Asia, Latin America and select countries in Africa.
Freedom Acquisition I Corp. was established by
Tidjane Thiam, Adam Gishen and Abhishek Bhatia to leverage their extensive experience in acquiring, building, operating and scaling global
financial services businesses in constantly evolving environments. Mr. Thiam, with his more than 30 years of experience in financial services
businesses, led global institutions like Credit Suisse and Prudential as CEO for 5 years and 6 years, respectively. Mr. Gishen has over
20 years of experience in financial services and has held senior leadership responsibilities in recent years at Credit Suisse running
its Global Investor Relations and Corporate Communications functions. Mr. Bhatia has more than 20 years of global experience in life and
general insurance and asset management and has created businesses from scratch, including a technology-enabled life insurer in Europe
and a full-stack digital insurer in Asia for which he served as CEO.
Company History
On December 31, 2020, the sponsor paid $25,000,
or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001
per share (the “founder shares”). On February 25, 2021, the Company effected a share dividend whereby the Company issued 1,437,500
Class B ordinary shares, resulting in an aggregate of 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding and held by our sponsor. Our Class
B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares, on a one-for-one basis, upon the completion of a business combination.
The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the issued
and outstanding ordinary shares upon completion of the initial public offering.
On March 2, 2021, we completed our initial public
offering of 34,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit (the “units”), generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000.
Each unit consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and one-fourth of one redeemable
warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject
to certain adjustments.
Substantially concurrently with the completion
of the initial public offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 warrants (the “private placement warrants”)
at a price of $1.50 per warrant, or $9,400,000 in the aggregate. A total of $345,000,000, comprised of $338,595,000 of the proceeds
from the initial public offering, including $12,075,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount, and $6,405,000 of the proceeds of
the sale of the private placement warrants, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.
On April 16, 2021, we announced that, commencing
April 19, 2021, holders of the 34,500,000 units sold in the initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Class A ordinary
shares and the warrants included in the units. Those units not separated continued to trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”)
under the symbol “FACT.U” and the Class A ordinary shares and warrants that were separated trade under the symbols “FACT”
and “FACT WS,” respectively.
Initial Business Combination
The rules of the NYSE require and our amended
and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating
businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount
of any deferred underwriting commission held in trust) as determined 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 upon standards generally accepted by the financial community. 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 or a valuation or appraisal firm 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. In addition, we have agreed not to enter
into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior written consent of the PIMCO private fund.
1
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 outstanding
equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that
the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain
objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if
the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling
interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, 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-business
combination 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, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our initial business
combination. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial
number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued
and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the outstanding 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.
We may, at our option, pursue an acquisition opportunity
jointly with one or more parties affiliated with PIMCO, including, without limitation, officers and partners of PIMCO, investment funds,
accounts, co-investment vehicles and other entities managed by affiliates of PIMCO, including the PIMCO private fund, and/or investors
in funds, accounts, co-investment vehicles and other entities managed by affiliates of PIMCO. Any such party may co-invest with us in
the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition
by issuing equity to such parties. The amount and other terms and conditions of any such joint acquisition or equity issuance would be
determined at the time thereof.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 14 Wall Street,
20th Floor, New York, 10005, and our telephone number is (212) 618-1798. Our corporate website address is freedomac1.com. Our website
and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is
not considered part of, this Annual Report.
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 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 20 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 dividend 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.
2
We are an “emerging growth company,”
as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart
Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (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 of
2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements,
and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any
golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less
active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also
provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B)
of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company”
can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to
take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until
the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering,
(b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer,
which means the market value of our 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.
References herein to “emerging growth company” will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting
company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure
obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting
company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates
did not exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal
year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not exceed $700 million as of the prior June 30.
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 our initial public offering. We intend to effectuate our initial
business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, the proceeds
of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (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, 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.
While we may pursue an initial business combination
target in any industry, we intend to focus our search on companies in the financial services sector. Accordingly, there is no current
basis for investors to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial
business combination.
3
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates
will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and private investment funds. Target
businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited 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 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 of which they become aware 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. 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. In no event, however, will our sponsor
or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting
fee or other compensation by the company prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial
business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). In addition, commencing on March 2, 2021, we have paid our sponsor
or an affiliate thereof up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided
to members of our management team and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor. Any such payments prior to our initial business combination
will be made from funds held outside the trust account.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an
initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business
combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek
to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, a committee of
independent and disinterested directors would consider, review and approve the transaction. Additionally, we, or a committee of
independent and disinterested directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or a valuation or
appraisal firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required
to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
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. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members
of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
In addition, we have agreed not to enter into
a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior written consent of the PIMCO private fund.
4
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.
Other Transactions with
Respect to Our Securities
At any time at or prior to our initial business
combination, subject to applicable securities laws, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter
into transactions with institutional or other investors to provide them with incentives to 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.
The purpose of any such transactions would be
to (i) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (ii) incentivize voting such warrants on
any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (iii) 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.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our
Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public shareholders with the
opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to
the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously
released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions
described herein. At the completion of our initial business combination, we will be required to purchase any ordinary shares properly
delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. 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. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect
to our warrants. Our initial shareholders, 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 any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with
the completion of our initial business combination.
5
Limitations on Redemptions
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less
than $5,000,001. In addition, 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 Class A ordinary shares
that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed 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 Class A ordinary 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, 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 all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either
(i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means
of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct
a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction
and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing
requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require
shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company 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 typically require shareholder approval.
So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’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 is 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 the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of two-thirds of our ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon,
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.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete
our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote
of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if
the holders of a majority of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our
initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial
shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares and public shares held by them in favor of our initial
business combination. 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. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreement of our initial shareholders,
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 without voting and, if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed
transaction.
6
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do
not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other 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.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to
the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the
Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period.
In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted
to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete
the initial business combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business
combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and 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.
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 amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less
than $5,000,001. In addition, 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 Class A ordinary shares
that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed 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 Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
7
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 redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares
sold in our initial public offering (the “Excess Shares”) without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage
shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares
as a means to force us, our sponsor or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price
or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in
our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our
sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’
ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, 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.
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 $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost
on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption
rights to 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 (unless we elect
to allow additional withdrawal rights). 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.
8
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 24 months from the closing of our
initial public offering or during any extended time that we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months as a result of
a shareholder vote to amend our certificate of incorporation (an “Extension Period”).
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 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering to complete our initial business
combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such 24-month period or during any Extension Period, we
will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business
days thereafter, 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 (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income
to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public
shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any) and (iii) as promptly
as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate
and dissolve, subject, in each case, to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject
to the other requirements of 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 24-month time period or during any Extension
Period.
Our initial shareholders, 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 24 months
from the closing of our initial public offering. However, if our sponsor or management team acquire public shares, 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 24-month time period or during any Extension Period.
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and
directors 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months
from the closing of our initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights
or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided
by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible
assets to be less than $5,000,001. If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares
such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our
public shares at such time.
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 held outside the trust account,
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 income taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release
to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest income to pay those costs and expenses.
9
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of
our initial public offering 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, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon
our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The funds 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. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of our initial public
offering 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 (other than Marcum
LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business
with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement,
reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below 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 public share due to reductions
in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, 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 our initial public offering against
certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification
obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe
that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of 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 funds 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 public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets,
in each case less taxes payable, 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 substantially less than $10.00 per share.
10
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 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 monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the
underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event
that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received
funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors.
If we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition
or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the funds held in the trust account could
be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third
parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot 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 or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer”
or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency 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 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 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering, (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 have not consummated an initial business combination
within 24 months from the closing of initial public offering 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 upon 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 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.
Conflicts of Interest
Each of our officers and directors presently has,
and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer
or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our 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 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 applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer
shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same
or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an
opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer on
the one hand, and us, on the other. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or
directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
11
Facilities
We currently utilize office space at 14 Wall Street,
20th Floor, New York, 10005. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have one officer, Adam Gishen. Mr.
Gishen and any additional officers that may be appointed 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 whether a target business has been selected for our initial
business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We have engaged certain employees and advisors to assist
us with the completion of our initial business combination.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a
high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in
this Annual Report, before making a decision to invest in our securities. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial
condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline,
and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Associated with Our Business Strategy and Business Combination
We are a blank check company with no operating history
and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a blank check company incorporated under
the laws of the Cayman Islands and all of our activities to date have been related to our formation, our initial public offering and our
search for a business combination target. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to
achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination,
we will never generate any operating revenues.
Past performance by our management team, directors,
advisors, the PIMCO private fund and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated
and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.
Information regarding our management team, directors,
advisors, the PIMCO private fund and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated
and businesses with which they have been associated, is presented for informational purposes only. Not all of the businesses in which
our management team directors, advisors, the PIMCO private fund or their respective affiliates have invested have achieved the same level
of value creation. Any past experience and performance by our management team, directors, advisors, the PIMCO private fund and their respective
affiliates and the businesses with which they have been associated, is not a guarantee that we will be able to successfully identify a
suitable candidate for our initial business combination, that we will be able to provide positive returns to our shareholders, or of any
results with respect to any initial business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical experiences of our management
team directors, advisors, the PIMCO private fund and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they
have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us
or as indicative of every prior investment by each of the members of our management team directors, advisors, the PIMCO private fund or
their respective affiliates. The market price of our securities may be influenced by numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control,
and our shareholders may experience losses on their investment in our securities.
12
We may seek business combination opportunities in
industries or sectors that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside
of our management’s areas of expertise if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate
offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company. We cannot assure you that an investment in our securities will
not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination
candidate. In the event we elect to pursue a business combination outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s
expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this Annual Report regarding
the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a
result, our management may not be able to ascertain or assess adequately all of the relevant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders
or warrant holders who choose to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in
the value of their securities. Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating a
target business in a particular industry, sector or geographic region nor have we selected any target businesses with which to pursue
our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
Although we expect to focus our search for a target business in the financial services sector, our efforts to identify a prospective initial
business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. Because we have not yet selected
any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any
particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the
extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which
we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings,
we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although
our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we
will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore,
some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will
adversely impact a target business.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines
that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target
that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination
may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and
guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business
combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not
meet some or all of these criteria and guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does
meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does
not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it
difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount
of cash. In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval
for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the
target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our
public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public
shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Unless we complete our initial business combination
with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion regarding fairness, and consequently, you may have no assurance from
an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination
with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from
a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who
will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed
in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
13
We have engaged or intend to engage one or more of
the underwriters of our initial public offering or their affiliates to provide additional services to us, including to act as financial
advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. The
underwriters of our initial public offering are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on
a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause the underwriters to have potential conflicts of
interest in rendering any such additional services to us, including, for example, in connection with the consummation of an initial business
combination.
We have engaged or intend to engage one or more
of the underwriters of our initial public offering or their affiliates to provide additional services to us, including, for example, identifying
potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing.
We will pay the underwriters or their affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time
in an arm’s length negotiation. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion
of an initial business combination. The fact that the underwriters or their affiliates’ financial interests are tied to the consummation
of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us,
including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination.
We may seek acquisition opportunities with an early
stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.
To the extent we complete our initial business
combination with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings,
we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in
a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition
and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent
in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not
have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability
to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination
with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is
not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our business combination strategy,
we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists
about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on
the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected,
if at all.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, 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.
We may choose to incur substantial debt to complete
our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver
of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect
the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account.
Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have
a variety of negative effects, including:
●
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
●
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
14
●
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;
●
our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;
●
our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares;
●
using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;
●
limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
●
increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and
●
limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
Our search for a business combination, and
any prospective partner business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other events and the status of debt and equity markets.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared
novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted
global supply chains, lowered equity market valuations, created significant volatility and disruption in financial markets, and increased
unemployment levels, all of which may become heightened concerns upon a second wave of infection or future developments. In addition,
the pandemic has resulted in temporary closures of many businesses and the institution of social distancing and sheltering in place requirements
in many states and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread
health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, business operations and the conduct of commerce
generally, and the business of any prospective partner business with which we consummate a business combination could be, or may already
have been, materially and adversely affected.
Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a
business combination if concerns relating to COVID-19 continue to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential
investors or the prospective partner business’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and
consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend
on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning
the severity of COVID-19, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among
others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time or other
events (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant
outbreak of other infectious diseases) occur, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a prospective
partner business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected. In addition, our
ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by
COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases),
including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on
terms acceptable to us or at all. Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks
described in this “Item 1a.-Risk Factors” section, such as those related to the market for our securities and
cross-border transactions.
We may only be able to complete one business combination
with the proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent
on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations
and profitability.
The net proceeds from the initial public offering
and the sale of the private placement warrants provided us with $332,925,000 that we may use to complete our initial business combination
(after taking into account the $12,075,000 of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account).
15
We may effectuate our initial business combination
with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able
to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence
of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating
results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial
business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory
developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting
of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different
areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
●
solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or
●
dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
This lack of diversification may subject us to
numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry
in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business
combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise
to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several
businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent
on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete
our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens
and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional
risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating
business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, they could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
Our management may not be able to maintain control
of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business,
new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination
so that the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire less than 100% of the outstanding
equity interests or assets of a target business, 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
business sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider
any transaction that does not meet such criteria. 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-business combination
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, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third-parties in connection with financing our initial business combination.
In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number
of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares
subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority shareholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single
person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s shares than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more
likely that our management will not be able to maintain control of the target business.
16
We are dependent upon our officers and directors and
their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate. In addition, reputational harm to our officers and directors could have adverse
consequences on our ability to operate or consummate a business combination.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively
small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service
of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors
are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating
their time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss
of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
In addition, certain of our officers and directors
are currently, and may in the future be, a party to litigation, regulatory and other government investigations and enforcement actions.
This includes enforcement proceedings initiated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) against Credit Suisse in September
2020, which covers the period during which certain of our officers and directors were executives of Credit Suisse. Whether or not such
proceedings are determined adversely to our officers and directors, the negative publicity and reputational harm associated with such
proceedings may divert resources and the attention of management from our business and adversely impact our ability to consummate a business
combination.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business
combination and to be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following
our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination
business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial
business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however,
cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory
positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain
in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you
that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating
a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.
In addition, the directors and officers of an
acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s
key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidate’s
key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that
certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the post-combination company following
our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in
place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting
agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned
on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial
business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination
is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with our
company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements
in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination
and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would
render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention
or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation
in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law.
17
We may have a limited ability to assess the management
of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management
may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting
our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may
be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management,
therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target
business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and
profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders or warrant holders who choose
to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities.
Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate
may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could
negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
The role of an acquisition candidate’s key
personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain
members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the post-combination business following our initial
business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
We may issue additional Class A ordinary shares or
preferred 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 founder 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 in our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association authorizes the issuance of up to 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary
shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preferred shares, par value $0.0001 per share. There are 165,500,000 and 11,375,000
authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amounts do not
take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B
ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately
following the consummation of our initial business combination, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth
in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A ordinary
shares or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination. There are currently no preferred shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional
Class A ordinary shares or preferred 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 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 as set forth in our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or in connection with the redemption of our public warrants. However, our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination,
we may not issue additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote
on any initial business combination. 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. The issuance of additional
ordinary or preferred shares may:
●
significantly dilute the equity interest of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, which dilution would increase in the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares;
18
●
subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preferred shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares;
●
cause a change in control if a substantial number of our Class A ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;
●
have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us;
●
adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and
●
not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.
Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose
acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate
an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert
into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one
basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject
to further adjustment as provided in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. In the case that additional Class
A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number
of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of Class
A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders),
including the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked
securities issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding
any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued
or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, officers
or directors upon conversion of working capital loans; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than
one-for-one basis.
Resources could be wasted in researching business
combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another
business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion
of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
The investigation of each specific target business
and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial
management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a
specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable.
Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination
for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred,
which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to
complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account
that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
19
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity
to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such
vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such
a combination.
We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote to
approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable law or stock
exchange listing requirements. In such case, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination
or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based
on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to
seek shareholder approval. Even if we seek shareholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such
approval and have agreed to vote in favor of our initial business combination. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination
even if holders of a majority of our ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we complete.
Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision
regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
At the time of your investment in us, you will
not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors
may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to
vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to effect your investment decision
regarding our initial business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be
at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial
business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business
combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless
of how our public shareholders vote.
Our initial shareholders own 20% of our issued
and outstanding ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares
prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we seek shareholder
approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive an ordinary resolution under
Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of
the company, including the founder shares. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 12,937,501,
or 37.5%, of the 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial
business combination approved. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our
initial shareholders and management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will
receive an ordinary resolution, being the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold.
The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial
majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less
than $5,000,001. In addition, 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. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority
of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our
initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender
offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any
of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are
validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination
exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary
shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
20
In order to effectuate an initial business combination,
special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments,
including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that
our shareholders may not support.
In order to effectuate a business combination,
special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments,
including their warrant agreements. For example, special purpose acquisition companies have amended the definition of business combination,
increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants,
amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of
a majority of at least two-thirds of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (other than amendments relating
to the rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares to appoint or remove directors, which may be amended by a special resolution passed
by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting), and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote
of holders of at least 65% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants
or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, at least 65% of the then outstanding private
placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require us to provide our public shareholders
with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of
our initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial
business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of the securities
offered through our initial public offering, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We
cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business
combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing
the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares
who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (or 65% of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the
company with respect to amendments to the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), which is a lower amendment
threshold than that of some other special purpose acquisition companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association and trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that
some of our shareholders may not support.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds
of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except
in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by
special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of at least two-thirds of the shareholders
who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (other than amendments relating to the rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares
to appoint or remove directors, which may be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares
voting in a general meeting), and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account
may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. Our initial
shareholders, who collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares, may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result,
we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that govern our pre-business
combination behavior more easily than some other special purpose acquisition companies, and this may increase our ability to complete
a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association.
21
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and
directors 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months
from the closing of our initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights
or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary
shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the
trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided
by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements
and, as a result, will not have the right to approve any waiver to these agreements and will not have the ability to pursue remedies against
our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need
to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their
shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for
us to enter into a business combination with a target or prevent us from completing the most desirable business combination or optimizing
our capital structure.
We may seek to enter into a business combination
transaction agreement with 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. If our initial business
combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have
a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If too
many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would
not be able to proceed with the business combination. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters
will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination and such amount of deferred underwriting
discount is not available for us to use as consideration in an initial business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our
public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less
than $5,000,001 upon completion of our initial business combination, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be
contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption
requests would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less than $5,000,001 upon
completion of our initial business combination or less than such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described
above, we would not proceed with such redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and we may instead search
for an alternate business combination. Alternatively, we may seek to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash
in the trust account or arrange for third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances
or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution
provision of the Class B ordinary shares results in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion
of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and,
thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us. If we are able to consummate an initial business combination,
the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming shareholders will reflect our obligation to pay the deferred underwriting commissions.
The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital
structure.
If our initial business combination is unsuccessful,
you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate
liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro
rata amount per share in the trust account. You may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in
connection with your exercise of redemption rights until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
22
Because we must furnish our shareholders with the
target business’s financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination
with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that the proxy
statement with respect to the vote on an initial business combination include historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure.
We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required
under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) or international financial reporting standards as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements
may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”).
These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable
to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our
initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
The requirement that we complete our initial business
combination within 24 months after the closing of our initial public offering or during any Extension Period may give potential target
businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on
potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete
our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
Any potential target business with which we enter
into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months
from the closing of our initial public offering or during any Extension Period. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage
over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular
target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we
get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial
business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
If the net proceeds from our initial public offering
and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least
the 24 months following the closing of our initial public offering, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target
business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team
to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
As of December 31, 2021, we had $277,583
available to us outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. On April 1, 2022, we issued to our
sponsor an unsecured promissory note in the amount of up to $500,000, which may be drawn down from time to time until we complete
our initial business combination for general working capital purposes, as further described in “Item 7. Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Recent Developments.” We believe that the funds
available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the
closing of our initial public offering; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us,
we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business.
We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of
intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other
companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business
combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where
we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as
a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with
respect to, a target business.
We have in the past and may in the future need
to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor,
members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us in such circumstances.
Any such loans may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial
business combination. After giving effect to the $500,000 loan described in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations—Recent Developments,” up to $1,500,000 of additional loans may be convertible into private
placement warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants
would be identical to the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to
seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan
such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to complete
our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate
the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption
of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
23
Changes
in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and
complete an initial business combination.
In
recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed in ways
adverse to us and our management team. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the
premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These
trends may continue into the future.
The
increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive
for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify
its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense and/or
accept less favorable terms. Furthermore, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse
impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In
addition, after completion of any initial business combination, our directors and officers could be subject to potential liability from
claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to such initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our
directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims
(“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity
and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
We
may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target
business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
We
intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire solely with the net proceeds of our initial
public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. 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 redemption by public shareholders and pay deferred underwriting
commissions, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure
you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable
when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that
particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, we may be required to obtain additional financing
in connection with the closing of our initial business combination for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion
of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our
initial business combination, or to fund the purchase of other companies. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination,
our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution
to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete
our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure
to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None
of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business
combination.
We
may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of our initial public offering or during
any Extension Period, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public
shares and liquidate.
We
may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of
our initial public offering or during any Extension Period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively
impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example,
the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the pandemic on us will
depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased
market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally,
the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. If we have not completed our initial business combination
within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible
but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 (less taxes payable and
up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption
will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions,
if any) and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders
and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject, in each case, to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for
claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law.
24
You
are not entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since
the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an
initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company
under the United States securities laws. However, because we have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 as of the completion of
our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited
balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies,
such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors are not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means
our units were immediately tradable and we have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies
subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if our initial public offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would have prohibited the release of
any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection
with our completion of an initial business combination.
Because
of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete
our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive
only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants
will expire worthless.
We
expect to encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may
be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for
the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience
in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries.
Many of these competitors possess similar or greater technical, human and other resources to ours or more local industry knowledge than
we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Additionally, the
number of blank check companies looking for business combination targets has increased compared to recent years and many of these blank
check companies are sponsored by entities or persons that have significant experience with completing business combinations. While we
believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the
sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are
sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing
the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem
their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Target
companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations
may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial
business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available
for distribution to public shareholders, which may only be $10.00 per share or possibly less in certain circumstances, and our warrants
will expire worthless.
As
the number of special purpose acquisition companies increases, there may be more competition to find an attractive target for an initial
business combination. This could increase the costs associated with completing our initial business combination and may result in our
inability to find a suitable target for our initial business combination.
In
recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many companies have
entered into business combinations with special purpose acquisition companies, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies
seeking targets for their initial business combination, as well as many additional special purpose acquisition companies currently in
registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available, and it may require more time, effort and resources to
identify a suitable target for an initial business combination.
In
addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available
targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target
companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry
sector downturns, geopolitical tensions or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate
targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find a
suitable target for and/or complete our initial business combination.
25
Subsequent
to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment
or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our
securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even
if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify
all material issues that may be present with a particular target business that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through
a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise.
As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment
or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected
risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though
these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature
could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate
net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue
of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any shareholders or
warrant holders who choose to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the
value of their securities. Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If
third parties bring claims against us, the funds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received
by shareholders may be substantially less than $10.00 per share.
Our
placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us.
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, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not 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. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm,
and the underwriters of our initial public offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the
trust account.
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. 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. Upon redemption
of our public shares, if we have not completed our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise
of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors
that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount
received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of
such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Annual Report, our sponsor has agreed that it
will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting
firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter
of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account
to below 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 public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in
each case less taxes payable, 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 our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have
we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s
only assets are securities of 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 substantially 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.
26
We
may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.
We
have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have
agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against
the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i)
we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify
our officers and directors may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their
fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and
directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s
investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors
pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
The
securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value
of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The
proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less
or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S.
government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they
have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in
recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt
similar policies in the United States. In the event that we do not to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments
to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share
of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income earned thereon (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest
income to pay dissolution expenses). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share
redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
If,
after we distribute the funds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary
bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy or insolvency court may seek to recover such
proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby
exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If,
after we distribute the funds in the trust account to our public shareholders, 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 or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent
conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders.
In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith,
thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing
the claims of creditors.
If,
before distributing the funds in the trust account to our public shareholders, 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 claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority
over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with
our liquidation may be reduced.
If,
before distributing the funds in the trust account to our public shareholders, 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 funds held in the trust account could be subject to
applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with
priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that
would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
27
Our
directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in
the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders.
In
the event that the funds 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 public share
due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy
its 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 and subject to their fiduciary duties 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. If our independent directors
choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public
shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
If
we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements
and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If
we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
●
restrictions on the nature
of our investments; and
●
restrictions on the issuance
of securities,
●
each of which may make it difficult
for us to complete our initial business combination. In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
●
registration as an investment
company with the SEC;
●
adoption of a specific form
of corporate structure; and
●
reporting, record keeping,
voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations that we are currently not subject to.
In
order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must
ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities
do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our
assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business is to identify and complete
a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses
or assets with a view to resell or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive
investor.
We
do not believe that our principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust
account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment
Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under
the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee
is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds from our initial public offering
to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying
and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we believe we will avoid being deemed an “investment
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance
with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability
to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive
their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants
will expire worthless. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (i) the completion
of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote
to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (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 have not consummated an initial
business combination within 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions
relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination
within 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders
as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to
the Investment Company Act.
28
Our
warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of our warrants could have a material effect on our financial results.
On
April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the SEC together issued a statement
regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies entitled “Staff
Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (the “SEC Statement”).
Specifically, the SEC Statement focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business
combination, which terms are similar to those contained in the warrant agreement governing our warrants.
As
a result, included on our balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 contained elsewhere in this Annual Report are derivative liabilities
related to embedded features contained within our warrants. Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC
815”) provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash
gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statements of operations. As a result of the
recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly based on factors which are
outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non-cash gains or losses on our
warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material.
We
have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to adversely
affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with GAAP. Our management is likewise required, on a quarterly basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose
any changes and material weaknesses identified through such evaluation in those internal controls. A material weakness is a deficiency,
or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material
misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
As
described elsewhere in this Annual Report, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related
to the accounting for complex financial instruments as a result of the change in classification of all of our redeemable Class A ordinary
shares as temporary equity and the classification of our warrants as liabilities. As a result of this material weakness, our management
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2021. This material weakness resulted
in a material misstatement of our warrant liabilities, change in fair value of warrant liabilities, additional paid-in capital, accumulated
deficit and related financial disclosures.
To
respond to this material weakness, we have devoted, and plan to continue to devote, significant effort and resources to the remediation
and improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. While we have processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable
accounting requirements, we plan to enhance these processes to better evaluate our research and understanding of the nuances of the complex
accounting standards that apply to our financial statements. Our plans at this time include providing enhanced access to accounting literature,
research materials and documents and increased communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding
complex accounting applications. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance
that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.
Any
failure to maintain such internal control could adversely impact our ability to report our financial position and results from operations
on a timely and accurate basis. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our
operations. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations
by the stock exchange on which our ordinary shares are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In either case, there could result
a material adverse effect on our business. Failure to timely file will cause us to be ineligible to utilize short form registration statements
on Form S-3 or Form S-4, which may impair our ability to obtain capital in a timely fashion to execute our business strategies or issue
shares to effect an acquisition. Ineffective internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial
information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities.
We
can give no assurance that the measures we have taken and plan to take in the future will remediate the material weakness identified
or that any additional material weaknesses or restatements of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement
and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. In addition, even if we are successful
in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify
irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our financial statements.
29
Our
independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about
our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
In
connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting
Standards Update 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,”
we have determined that if we are unable to complete a business combination by March 2, 2023 (absent any extensions of such period with
shareholder approval), then we will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The date for mandatory liquidation and
subsequent dissolution raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere
in this report do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to continue as a going concern.
We
may face litigation and other risks as a result of the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting.
Our
management and our audit committee concluded that it was appropriate to restate our previously issued audited balance sheet as of March
2, 2021. As part of the restatement, we identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting.
As
a result of such material weakness, the restatement, the change in accounting for the warrants, and other matters raised, we face potential
for litigation or other disputes which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual
claims or other claims arising from the restatement and material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and the
preparation of our financial statements. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have no knowledge of any such litigation or dispute.
However, we can provide no assurance that such litigation or dispute will not arise in the future. Any such litigation or dispute, whether
successful or not, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition or our ability
to complete our initial business combination.
Compliance
obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial
financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section
404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. 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 comply with the independent registered public accounting
firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance
with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target
business with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act regarding adequacy of its 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.
Changes
in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability
to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
We
are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply
with certain SEC and other legal requirements, our business combination may be contingent on our ability to comply with certain laws
and regulations and any post-business combination company may be subject to additional laws and regulations. Compliance with, and monitoring
of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation
and application may also change from time to time, including as a result of changes in economic, political, social and government policies,
and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business
combination, and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied,
could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination,
and results of operations.
Cyber
incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We
depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of
third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure,
or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary
information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early stage company without significant investments in data security protection,
we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or
to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of
them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
30
Risks
Associated with Our Securities and Redemption
The
NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities
and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
Our
units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on the NYSE. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed
on the NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the NYSE prior
to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, following our
initial public offering, we must maintain a minimum amount in Shareholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number
of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will
be required to demonstrate compliance with the NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the NYSE’s
continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE. For instance, in order for
our Class A ordinary shares to be listed upon the consummation of our initial business combination, at such time, our share price would
generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our global market capitalization would be required to be at least $200 million,
the aggregate market value of publicly-held shares would be required to be at least $100 million and we would be required to have at
least 400 round lot holders. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If
the NYSE delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities
exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material
adverse consequences, including:
●
a limited availability of market
quotations for our securities;
●
reduced liquidity for our securities;
●
a determination that our Class
A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to
more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
●
a limited amount of news and
analyst coverage; and
●
a decreased ability to issue
additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The
National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the
sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because our units and our Class A ordinary shares
and warrants are listed on the NYSE, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants qualify as covered securities under the statute.
Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate
companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the
sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the
sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check
companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies
in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the NYSE, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under the statute
and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
Our
initial shareholders control a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder
vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Our
initial shareholders own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares and only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the
right to appoint or remove directors in any general meeting held prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business
combination. Accordingly, our initial shareholders may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially
in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If our
initial shareholders purchase any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this
would increase their control. Neither our initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current
intention to purchase additional securities. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration
of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were appointed by our
sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a terms for three years with only one class
of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint or remove new directors prior to the
completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the
completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting prior to our initial business combination, as a consequence
of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our
initial shareholders, because of their ownership position, will control the outcome. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a
definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior written consent of the PIMCO private fund. Accordingly,
our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
31
We
may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity
for our shareholders to appoint directors.
In
accordance with NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after our
first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary
general meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity
to appoint directors and to discuss company affairs with management. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one
class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first general meeting)
serving a three-year term. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to
vote on the appointment of directors until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
Provisions
in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors
might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that
shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the
board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more
difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Our
letter agreement with our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors may be amended without shareholder approval.
Our
letter agreement with our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors contain provisions relating to transfer restrictions
of our founder shares and private placement warrants, indemnification of the trust account, waiver of redemption rights and participation
in liquidating distributions from the trust account. The letter agreement may be amended without shareholder approval (although releasing
the parties from the restriction not to transfer the founder shares for 180 days following our initial public offering will require the
prior written consent of the underwriters of our initial public offering). While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment
to the letter agreement prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment
and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to the letter agreement. Any such amendments to the letter
agreement would not require approval from our shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
You
will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate
your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our
public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of
an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected
to redeem, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted
in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering or (B) with
respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii)
the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our
initial public offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder
have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the funds held in the trust
account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants,
potentially at a loss.
32
If
a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or
fails to comply with the procedures for submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We
will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business
combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy materials or tender offer documents,
as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, 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 describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or submit public shares for redemption. For
example, 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 to deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically 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. 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. See the section of this Annual Report entitled “Item 1. Business—Delivering Share
Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights.”
If
we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules,
and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose
the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
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 more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,”
without our prior consent. 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. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence
over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell
Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares
if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and,
in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If
we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the allotted time period, our public shareholders may be forced to
wait beyond such to 24 months before redemption from our trust account.
If
we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the allotted time period, the funds then on deposit in the trust
account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to
pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public
shareholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of
association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind-up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount
therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must
comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the allotted time period
before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of
the funds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation
unless, prior thereto, we consummate our initial business combination or amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association and only then in cases where investors have properly sought to redeem their Class A ordinary shares. Only
upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial
business combination within the required time period and do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association prior thereto.
33
Our
shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption
of their shares.
If
we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment
if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall
due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders.
Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad
faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, 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. We and our directors and
officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were
unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a fine
of $18,293 and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
You
will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares or certain exemptions
are available.
If
the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or
qualification under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, holders of warrants will not be entitled to exercise such
warrants and such warrants may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase
of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units.
We
have not registered, and will not register the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act
or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable,
but in no event later than 15 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable
efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the issuance of the Class
A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same
to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating
to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance
with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events
arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements
contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current, complete or correct or the SEC issues a stop order.
If
the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, under the terms of the
warrant agreement, holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do so for cash and, instead, will
be required to do so on a cashless basis, in which case the number of Class A ordinary shares that the holders of warrants will receive
upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum number of shares equal to 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant
(subject to adjustment).
In
no event will warrants be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking
to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws
of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration or qualification is available.
If
our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they
satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, not permit
holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants to do so for cash and, instead, require them to do so on a cashless basis in
accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect
a registration statement or register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws, and in the
event we do not so elect, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under
applicable state securities laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
In
no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities (other than upon a cashless exercise as described above)
or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants
under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.
34
The
grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders and holders of our private placement warrants may make it more difficult to
complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class
A ordinary shares.
Pursuant
to an agreement that was entered into concurrently with the consummation of our initial public offering, our initial shareholders and
their permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible,
holders of our private placement warrants and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the private placement
warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and holders of warrants that may be
issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register the resale of such warrants or the Class A ordinary shares
issuable upon exercise of such warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of
such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class
A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult
to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or
ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when
the ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders, holders of our private placement warrants or holders of our working capital loans
or their respective permitted transferees are registered for resale.
We
may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of
at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise
period could be shortened and the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without
your approval.
Our
warrants are issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent,
and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity
or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants
to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms
of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder of public warrants if holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants
approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then
outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise
price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary
shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
A
provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
If
(i) we issue additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our
initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds
from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial
business combination (net of redemptions), and (iii) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during
the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such
price, the “Market Value”) of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants
will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00
and $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the
Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination
with a target business.
We
may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We
have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price
of $0.01 per warrant, if, among other things, the last reported sales price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per
share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading
days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the
warrant holders (the “Reference Value”). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption
right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption
of the outstanding warrants as described above could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a
time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise
wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption,
we expect would be substantially less than the Market Value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable
by us so long as they are held by our sponsors or their permitted transferees.
In
addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration,
at a price of $0.10 per warrant if, among other things, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted). In such
a case, the holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of our Class A ordinary shares determined
based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our Class A ordinary shares. The value received upon exercise of the warrants
(1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying
share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of ordinary
shares received is capped at 0.361 of our Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life
of the warrants.
35
Our
warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial
business combination.
We
have issued warrants to purchase 8,625,000 Class A ordinary shares and, simultaneously with the closing of our initial public
offering, we issued in a private placement an aggregate of 6,266,667 private placement warrants, at $1.50 per warrant. In addition,
as described in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Recent Developments,” our sponsor made a $500,000 working capital loan to us on April 1, 2022, which
is convertible into 333,333 private placement warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant. If our sponsor makes any additional working
capital loans, it may convert those loans into up to an additional 1,000,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.50 per
warrant. To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a
substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition
vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary
shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants may
make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because
each unit contains one-fourth of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units
of other special purpose acquisition companies.
Each
unit contains one-fourth of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation
of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional
interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued
to the warrant holder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one ordinary share and one whole warrant
to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the
warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-fourth of the number
of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business
combination partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included
a warrant to purchase one whole share.
We
are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of
certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make
our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We
are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may 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 internal controls 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 nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval
of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they
may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status
earlier, including if the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before
that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether
investors will find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities
less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise
would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further,
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting
standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do
not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting
standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements
that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such
extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or
private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new
or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth
company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of
the potential differences in accounting standards used.
36
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 any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary
shares held by non-affiliates did not exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not exceed $100 million
during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not exceed $700 million as of
the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial
statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
Our
warrant agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New
York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which
could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our
warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating
in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New
York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction,
which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive
jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by
the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive
forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and
to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of
the forum provisions of our warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District
Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall
be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection
with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service
of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign
action as agent for such warrant holder.
This
choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for
disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement
inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs
associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
Because
we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to
protect your rights through the U.S. Federal courts may be limited.
We
are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service
of process within the United States upon our directors or officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against
our directors or officers.
Our
corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as the same may
be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We are also subject to the federal securities
laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the
fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman
Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands
as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the
Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different
from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands
has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed
and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders
derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
37
We
have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize
or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities
laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us
predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities
imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands
of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a
foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court
imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met.
For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and
must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable
on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public
policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands
Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As
a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken
by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States
company.
After
our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and
all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore, investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws
or their other legal rights.
It
is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States
and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible,
for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers
or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers
under United States laws.
Risks
Associated with Conflicts of Interest
Certain
members of our management team may be involved in and have a greater financial interest in the performance of other entities with which
they are affiliated, and such activities may create conflicts of interest in making decisions on our behalf.
Certain
members of our management team may be subject to a variety of conflicts of interest relating to their responsibilities to our sponsor
and other entities with which they are affiliated. Such individuals may serve as members of management or a board of directors (or in
similar such capacity) to various other affiliated entities. Such positions may create a conflict between the advice and investment opportunities
provided to such entities and the responsibilities owed to us. The other entities in which such individuals may become involved may have
investment objectives that overlap with ours. Furthermore, certain of our principals and employees may have a greater financial interest
in the performance of such other affiliated entities than our performance. Such involvement may create conflicts of interest in sourcing
investment opportunities on our behalf and on behalf of such other entities.
PIMCO
and its affiliates, including the PIMCO private fund, have invested in diverse industries, including in the financial services sector.
There could be overlap between companies that would be suitable for a business combination with us and companies that present an attractive
investment opportunity for our sponsor, our directors or officers, and entities with which they currently are or may in the future be
affiliated, or certain of PIMCO’s funds and/or other investment vehicles, including the PIMCO private fund. In addition, PIMCO
and its affiliates engage in the business of originating, underwriting, syndicating, acquiring and trading loans and debt securities
of corporate and other borrowers, and may provide or participate in any debt financing arrangement in connection with any acquisition
of any target business that we may make. If PIMCO or any of its affiliates provides or participates in any such debt financing arrangement
it may present a conflict of interest and will have to be approved under our related person transaction policy or by our independent
directors.
Our
officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses, thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as
to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial
business combination.
Our
officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest
in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. Our officers may
engage in other business endeavors for which he or she may be entitled to, or otherwise expect to receive, substantial compensation or
other economic benefit, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent
directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs
require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their
ability to devote time to our affairs, which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Item 10. Directors, Executive
Officers and Corporate Governance — Directors and Executive Officers.”
38
Our
officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other
entities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be
presented.
Until
we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses.
Certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations
to other entities, including the PIMCO private fund and other entities affiliated with PIMCO, pursuant to which such officer or director
is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest
in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor
and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us, 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 applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed
by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and
(ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter
which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer on the one hand, and us, on the other.
In
addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor, form, invest in or otherwise become involved with 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. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing
an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to
complete our initial business combination.
For
a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that
you should be aware of, please see “Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance — Directors and Executive
Officers,” “Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance —Conflicts of Interest” and “Item
13. Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions, and Director Independence.”
Our
officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our
interests.
We
have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect
pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or
have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors
or officers. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities
of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
The
personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target
business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and
selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of
a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a
breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we or our shareholders might have a claim against such individuals
for infringing on our shareholders’ rights. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them
for such reason.
We
may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated
with our initial shareholders, officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In
light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses
affiliated with our initial shareholders, officers, directors or existing holders, including businesses affiliated with PIMCO. Our directors
also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Item 10. Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance —Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination
opportunities. We may enter into a business combination with an entity affiliated with our initial shareholders, officers, directors
or existing holders if we determine that such affiliated entity meets our criteria and guidelines for a business combination as set forth
in “Item 1. Business—Effecting our Initial Business Combination—Sources of Target Businesses” and such transaction
is approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent
investment banking firm or a valuation or appraisal firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business
combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our initial shareholders, officers, directors or existing
holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous
to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
39
Moreover,
we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with one or more affiliates of the PIMCO private fund or with
other entities to which an officer or director has a fiduciary, contractual or other obligation or duty. Any such parties may co-invest
with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the
acquisition by issuing equity to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest.
Since
our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other
than with respect to public shares they may acquire), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination
target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On
December 30, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in exchange for 8,625,000
founder shares (retroactively adjusting for the issuance of 1,437,500 founder shares resulting from a share dividend effected by the
Company on February 25, 2021). The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to
the company by the number of founder shares issued. Our initial shareholders collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares.
The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination.
In
addition, our sponsor has purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 private placement warrants for an aggregate purchase price of $9,400,000,
or $1.50 per warrant. The private placement warrants will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. The
personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business
combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business
combination. This risk may become more acute as the deadline nears for our completion of an initial business combination.
Our
initial shareholders stand to make a substantial profit on the founder shares even if an initial business combination subsequently declines
in value or is unprofitable for our public shareholders, and may have an incentive to recommend such an initial business combination
to our shareholders.
Our
initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per founder share. As a result of the low acquisition cost
of our founder shares, our initial shareholders could make a substantial profit even if we select and consummate an initial business
combination with an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public shareholders. Thus, they
may have more of an economic incentive for us to enter into an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker-performing or financially
unstable business, or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, than would be the case if such parties had paid
the full offering price for their founder shares.
Risks
Associated with Tax Matters
We
may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences
to U.S. investors.
Because
we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income
test for the taxable year ending December 31, 2021 and any other periods prior to the initial business combination. If we are a
PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. investor that is a holder of our Class
A ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. investor may be subject to adverse United States federal income tax consequences and may be subject
to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for the taxable year ending December 31, 2021 and subsequent taxable years may
depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception. Depending on the particular circumstances, the application of the start-up
exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. It is possible
that the start-up exception will not be available due to the timing or structure of our business combination, which are not known yet.
Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our 2021 taxable year or any subsequent taxable
year. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, moreover, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (and,
in the case of the 2021 taxable year, potentially until after the two taxable years following our 2021 taxable year if the start-up exception
applies). If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year (of which there can be no assurance), we will endeavor to provide to a U.S.
investor such information as the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may require, including a PFIC annual information statement,
in order to enable the U.S. investor to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” election, but there can be no assurance
that we will timely provide such required information, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants in all cases.
We urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation,
see the description under the caption “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment
Company Rules” in our prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2021 pursuant to Rule 424b(4) under
the Securities Act (Securities Act File No. 333-252940) incorporated by reference into this annual report.
40
We
may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in
taxes imposed on shareholders or warrant holders.
We
may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Act, reincorporate
in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located or in another jurisdiction. The transaction may require a shareholder
or warrant holder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder or warrant holder is a tax resident or in
which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity (or may otherwise result in adverse tax consequences). We do not intend
to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrant holders to pay such taxes. Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to
withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
There
may be tax consequences to our business combinations that may adversely affect us or our shareholders.
While
we expect to undertake any merger or acquisition so as to minimize taxes both to the acquired business and/or asset and us, such business
combination might not meet the statutory requirements of a tax-free reorganization, or the parties might not obtain the intended tax-free
treatment upon a transfer of shares or assets. A merger or acquisition that does not qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. tax
purposes could result in the imposition of substantial taxes.
Risks
Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business in Foreign Countries
If
we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional
risks that may adversely affect us.
If
we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may
face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect
such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
In
addition, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating,
agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction
approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange
rates.
If
we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated
with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
●
costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border
business operations;
●
rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;
●
complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
●
laws governing the manner in which future business
combinations may be effected;
●
exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;
●
tariffs and trade barriers;
●
regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
●
local or regional economic policies and market conditions;
●
unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
●
challenges in managing and staffing international operations;
●
longer payment cycles;
41
●
tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations
in tax laws as compared to the United States;
●
currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
●
rates of inflation;
●
challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
●
cultural and language differences;
●
employment regulations;
●
underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory
systems;
●
corruption;
●
protection of intellectual property;
●
social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances;
●
regime changes and political upheaval;
●
terrorist attacks and wars, including the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine; and
●
deterioration of political relations with the United
States.
We
may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business
combination, or, if we complete such initial business combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If
our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time
and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following
our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management
of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar
with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time
and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues
which may adversely affect our operations.
After
our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in foreign countries and substantially all of our revenue
will be derived from our operations in such countries. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant
extent, to the economic, political and social conditions and government policies, developments and conditions in the countries in which
we operate.
The
economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the countries in which our operations are located could
affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may
not be sustained in the future. If in the future such countries’ economies experience a downturn or grow at a slower rate than
expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could
materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination
and, if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.
Exchange
rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’s ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In
the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency or several foreign currencies,
and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of such
foreign currencies. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political
and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currencies against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness
of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the
cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
42
We
may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may
govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
In
connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another
jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The
system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as
in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss
of business, business opportunities or capital.
We
are subject to changing laws and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased
both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We
are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which
are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving
regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely
to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating
activities to compliance activities.
Moreover,
because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time
as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs
necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations
and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
We
employ a mail forwarding service, which may delay or disrupt our ability to receive mail in a timely manner.
Mail
addressed to the Company and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by Company
to be dealt with. None of the Company, its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization which provides
registered office services in the Cayman Islands) will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail reaching the forwarding
address, which may impair your ability to communicate with us.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Property
We
currently maintain our executive offices at 14 Wall Street, 20 th Floor, New York, NY 10005. The cost for the space is included
in the up to $10,000 monthly fee that we pay our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current
office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
To
the knowledge of our management, 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.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not
applicable.
43
Part
II
Item
5. Market for Registrant’s Common
Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
(a)
Market Information
Our
units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are each traded on the NYSE under the symbols “FACT.U,” “FACT” and
“FACT WS,” respectively. Our units commenced public trading on February 26, 2021. Our Class A ordinary shares and warrants
began separate trading on April 19, 2021.
(b)
Holders
On
April 8, 2022, there was 1 holder of record of our units, 2 holders of record of our Class A ordinary shares, 6 holders of
record of our Class B ordinary shares and 2 holders of record of our warrants.
(c)
Dividends
We
have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our
initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital
requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends
subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we incur any
indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
(d)
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
(e)
Performance Graph
Not
applicable.
(f)
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Offerings
Unregistered
Sales
On
December 30, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in exchange for
8,625,000 founder shares (retroactively adjusting for the issuance of 1,437,500 founder shares resulting from a share dividend
effected by the Company on February 25, 2021). Our sponsor transferred 25,000 founder shares each to Noreen Doyle, William
Janetschek and David Poritz and an aggregate of 47,500 founder shares to certain employees and consultants. On April 8, 2022, David
Poritz resigned from our board of directors and returned his 25,000 founder shares to our sponsor. As a result, our sponsor now owns
8,527,500 founder shares.
The
founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of
our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments. In the case that additional Class A ordinary
shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of Class
A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of Class A ordinary
shares outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders),
including the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked
securities issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding
any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued
or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, officers
or directors upon conversion of working capital loans; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than
one-for-one basis. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable
or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination,
including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt.
With
certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and
other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom are subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier
of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if
the last reported sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends,
rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period
commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business
combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all
of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
44
Our
sponsor purchased 6,266,667 private placement warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that occurred concurrently
with the closing of our initial public offering and generated gross proceeds of $9,400,000. Each private placement warrant is exercisable
for one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. The proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants were added
to the net proceeds from the initial public offering held in the trust account. If we do not complete a business combination within 24
months from the closing of our initial public offering, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants
are non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. The sale
of the private placement warrants was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities
Act.
Use
of Proceeds
On
March 2, 2021, we consummated our initial public offering of 34,500,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of approximately
$345.0 million.
In
connection with our initial public offering, we incurred offering costs of approximately $19.18 million, inclusive of approximately $12.08
million in deferred underwriting commissions. Other incurred offering costs consisted principally of preparation fees related to our
initial public offering. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions (excluding the deferred portion, which amount will
be payable upon consummation of the initial business combination, if consummated) and our initial public offering expenses, $345.0 million
of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and certain of the proceeds from the private placement of the private placement
warrants (or $10.00 per unit sold in our initial public offering) was placed in the trust account. The net proceeds of our initial public
offering and certain proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants are held in the trust account and invested as described
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
There
has been no material change in the planned use of the proceeds from our initial public offering and private placement as is described
in the Company’s final prospectus (File No. 333-252940) dated February 26, 2021, which was declared effective by the SEC on February
25, 2021.
(g)
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Item
6. [Reserved]
Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Cautionary
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The
following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction
with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements
and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth
below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements
as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor
Summary,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
References
to the “Company,” “our,” “us” or “we” refer to Freedom Acquisition I Corp. The following
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements
and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below
includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
45
Overview
We
are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on December 23, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger,
share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Our sponsor
is Freedom Acquisition I LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company.
The
registration statement for our initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”) became effective on February 25,
2021. On March 2, 2021, we consummated the Initial Public Offering of 34,500,000 units, which included the exercise of the underwriters’
option to purchase an additional 4,500,000 units at the Initial Public Offering price to cover over-allotments (the “Units”,
and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units, the “Public Shares” and, with respect to the one-fourth
of one redeemable warrant included in the Units, the “Public Warrants”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of
$345.0 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $19.18 million, inclusive of approximately $12.08 million in deferred underwriting
commissions.
Simultaneously
with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of 6,266,667
warrants (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants” and, together
with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant with the sponsor, generating
gross proceeds of approximately $9.4 million.
Upon
the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, approximately $345.0 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds
of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement were placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”),
located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and invested only in United States
“government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days
or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest
only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by us, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a business combination
and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.
If
we have not completed a business combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, or March 2, 2023 (the
“Combination Period”), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably
possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 and not previously
released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of
the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including
the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption,
subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject, in each case, to our
obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no
redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our outstanding Warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to consummate
a business combination within the Combination Period.
Recent
Developments
We
have issued an unsecured promissory note (the “Note”) in the amount of up to $500,000 to our sponsor. The proceeds of the
Note, which may be drawn down from time to time until we consummate our initial business combination, will be used for general working
capital purposes. The Note bears no interest and is payable in full upon the earlier to occur of (i) twenty-four (24) months from the
closing of our initial public offering (or such later date as may be extended in accordance with the terms of our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association) or (ii) the consummation of our business combination. A failure to pay the principal within five
business days of the date specified above or the commencement of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy action shall be deemed an event
of default, in which case the Note may be accelerated. Prior to the Company’s first payment of all or any portion of the principal
balance of the Note in cash, our sponsor has the option to convert all, but not less than all, of the principal balance of the Note into
private placement warrants (the “Conversion Warrants”), each warrant exercisable for one ordinary share of the Company at
an exercise price of $1.50 per share. The terms of the Conversion Warrants would be identical to the warrants issued by the Company to
the sponsor in a private placement that was consummated in connection with our initial public offering. Our sponsor shall be entitled
to certain registration rights relating to the Conversion Warrants. The issuance of the Note was made pursuant to the exemption from
registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
46
Results
of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We
have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational
activities, those necessary to prepare for our Initial Public Offering and identifying a target company for our initial business combination.
We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We generate non-operating
income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents held in the Trust Account. We incur expenses as a result of being
a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.
For
the year ended December 31, 2021, we had a net income of $5,128,650, which consisted of unrealized gain on change in fair value of warrant
liability of $9,381,750 and investment income of $105,681 on our amounts held in the Trust Account, offset by $3,782,028 of operating
costs consisting mostly of general and administrative expenses, foreign currency exchange loss of $1,475 and offering expenses related
to warrant issuance of $575,278.
For
the period from December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, we had net loss of approximately $5,494, which consists of formation
and operation costs.
We
classify the Warrants issued in connection with our Initial Public Offering and Private Placement as liabilities at their fair value
and adjust the warrant instruments to fair value at each reporting period. These liabilities are subject to remeasurement at each balance
sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. As part of the reclassification
to warrant liability, we reclassed a portion of the offering costs associated with the Initial Public Offering originally charged to
shareholders’ equity, to an expense in the statement of operations in the amount of $575,278 based on a relative fair value basis. For
the period from the Initial Public Offering to December 31, 2021, the change in fair value of the Warrants was a decrease in the liability
of approximately $9,381,750.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As
of December 31, 2021, we had cash outside the Trust Account of $277,583 available for working capital needs. All remaining cash held
in the Trust Account are generally unavailable for our use, prior to an initial business combination, and is restricted for use either
in a business combination or to redeem ordinary shares. As of December 31, 2021, none of the amount in the Trust Account was available
to be withdrawn as described above.
Through
December 31, 2021, our liquidity needs were satisfied through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the founder shares, the promissory
note of $90,996, which was used to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering and was fully repaid as of the Initial
Public Offering date, and the remaining net proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement
Warrants.
We
anticipate that the $277,583 outside of the Trust Account as of December 31, 2021, together with the $500,000 working capital loan
from our sponsor, as described in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Recent Developments”, will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next twelve (12) months from the issuance of the financial statements,
assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. Until consummation of our business combination, we will be
using the funds not held in the Trust Account, and any additional working capital loans from the initial shareholders, our officers
and directors, or their respective affiliates, for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing
business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of
prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the
target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination.
We
do not believe we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However,
if our estimates of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount
necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to the business combination. Moreover, we
will need to raise additional capital through additional loans from our sponsor, officers, directors, or third parties. None of the sponsor,
officers or directors are under any obligation to advance funds to, or to invest in, us. If we are unable to raise additional capital,
it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, curtailing
operations, suspending the pursuit of its business plan, and reducing overhead expenses. We cannot provide any assurance that new financing
will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all.
Going
Concern
In
connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting
Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going
Concern,” we have until March 2, 2023 (absent any extensions of such period with shareholder approval) to consummate our initial
business combination. It is uncertain that we will be able to consummate our initial business combination by this time. If a business
combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution. Management has determined
that the mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt
about our ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should
we be required to liquidate after March 2, 2023. We intend to complete our initial business combination before the mandatory liquidation
date. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to consummate any business combination by March 2, 2023.
47
Contractual
Obligations
We
do not have any long-term debt obligations, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations or long-term
liabilities other than described below.
We
have an agreement to pay the sponsor a total of up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative
support services. We began incurring these fees on February 25, 2021 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier
of the completion of the business combination and our liquidation.
We
have an agreement to pay the underwriters of our Initial Public Offering a deferred fee of $12,075,000 in the aggregate, which will become
payable to them from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that we complete a business combination, subject to the
terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical
Accounting Policies
This
management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements,
which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and
judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and
liabilities in our financial statements. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to fair
value of financial instruments and accrued expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various
other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about
the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these
estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Class
A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
We
account for our Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing
Liabilities from Equity.” Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as a liability instrument
and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares (including ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that
are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control)
are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. Our Class
A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to the occurrence of
uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2021, 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are
presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ equity section of our balance sheet.
Derivative
Warrant Liabilities
We
do not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. We evaluate all of our financial
instruments, including issued share purchase Warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify
as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and ASC 815-15. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments
should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is reassessed at the end of each reporting period.
48
We
account for our 14,891,667 Warrants issued in connection with our Initial Public Offering (8,625,000) and Private Placement (6,266,667)
as derivative warrant liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40. Accordingly, we recognize the warrant instruments as liabilities at
fair value and adjust the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance
sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The fair value of the Private
Placement Warrants has been estimated using Monte Carlo simulations at each measurement date. The fair value of the Public Warrants was
initially estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. After the Public Warrants were separately traded, the measurement of the Public Warrants used an observable market quote in an active market.
Net
Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share
We
have two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Earnings and losses are shared
pro rata between the two classes of shares. The 14,891,667 potential ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants were
excluded from diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2021 because the Warrants are contingently exercisable, and
the contingencies have not yet been met. As a result, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share
for the periods.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06,
Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s
Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”) to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates
the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies
the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard
also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s
own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for
all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2024 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis,
with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. We are currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have
on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management
does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect
on our financial statements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As
of December 31, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Item
7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We
are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise
required under this item.
Item
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
This
information appears following Item 15 of this Report and is included herein by reference.
Item
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
49
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure
controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our
reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in
the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to
ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated
to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions,
as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
We
determined that we had initially recorded our Warrants as equity instruments instead of as liabilities in our balance sheet as of March
2, 2021, which we filed on Form 8-K on March 9, 2021. Our internal control over financial reporting did not result in the proper accounting
classification of certain of the warrants we issued in March 2021. This mistake in classification was brought to our attention only when
the SEC issued the SEC Statement. The SEC Statement addresses certain accounting and reporting considerations related to warrants of
a kind similar to those we issued at the time of our Initial Public Offering in March 2021.
On
May 28, 2021, the Company filed with the SEC Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-K/A to amend and restate the Company’s audited balance sheet
to reflect the classification of the Company’s warrants as a liability, in accordance with the SEC Statement.
In
addition, as part of a subsequent review of our accounting for more complex equity situations, we also changed our accounting methodology
for our Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption to be in accordance with guidance in FASB Accounting Standards Codification
(“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Redeemable equity instruments (including equity instruments
that feature redemption rights that are either with the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain
events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. Accordingly, we have determined that all of
our outstanding Class A ordinary shares should be presented as temporary equity.
On
December 22, 2021, the Company filed with the SEC Amendment No. 2 on Form 8-K/A to reflect the classification of all of the Company’s
Class A ordinary shares as temporary equity in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99.
Due
to the impact of these errors in the classification of our warrants and Class A ordinary shares, we determined that a material weakness
exists in our internal control over financial reporting.
50
As
required by Rules 13a-15f and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer carried
out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2021.
Based upon their evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 (e) and 15d-15 (e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective as of December 31, 2021.
Management’s
Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting
or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the
SEC for newly public companies.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other
than as described herein, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period from March
2, 2021 through December 31, 2021, covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management
has identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting of complex financial instruments
due to the errors related to the classification of our warrants and Class A ordinary shares, as described above. To respond to this material
weakness, we have devoted, and plan to continue to devote, significant effort and resources to the remediation and improvement of our
internal control over financial reporting. While we have processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements,
we plan to enhance our system of evaluating and implementing the accounting standards that apply to our financial statements, including
through enhanced analyses by our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications.
The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately
have the intended effects.
Item
9B. Other Information.
On April 8, 2022, David Poritz resigned from our board of directors. David Poritz’s resignation was not the result of any dispute
or disagreement with us or our board of directors on any matter relating to our operations, policies or practices, including its controls
of financial-related matters.
Item
9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
None.
51
Part
III
Item
10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Directors
and Executive Officers
Name
Age
Position
Tidane Thiam
59
Executive Chairman
Adam Gishen
47
Chief Executive Officer
Jamie Weinstein
45
Director
Noreen Doyle
72
Director
William Janetschek
60
Director
Our
directors and executive officers are as follows:
Tidjane
Thiam, Executive Chairman
Tidjane
Thiam has served as our Executive Chairman since inception. In 2021, Mr Thiam was appointed Chairman of Rwanda Finance Limited. He also
serves as a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Kering S.A., the French luxury group. Mr Thiam is also a Special Envoy on Covid
19 for the African Union. From 2015 to 2020, Mr. Thiam was Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Group AG. From 2014 to 2019, Mr.
Thiam was a Director of 21st Century Fox and served on its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Thiam previously served
at Prudential plc, a global insurance company based on London, as the Group Chief Executive from 2009 to 2015, a Director from 2008 to
2015 and Group Chief Financial Officer from 2008 to 2009. Mr. Thiam holds an MBA from INSEAD and graduated from École Nationale
Supérieure des Mines de Paris in 1986 and from École Polytechnique in Paris in 1984. We believe Mr. Thiam’s extensive leadership
experience, broad network and deep understanding of the financial services sector make him a valuable addition to our board of directors.
52
Adam
Gishen, Chief Executive Officer and Board Observer
Adam
Gishen has served as our Chief Executive Officer since February 2021 and serves as one of our initial board observers. From 2015 to 2020,
Mr. Gishen served in several senior roles at Credit Suisse Group AG, including Global Head of Investor Relations, Corporate Communications
and Marketing and Branding. Prior to 2015, Mr. Gishen was a partner at Ondra Partners, a financial advisory firm and previous to this
worked as a Managing Director at Nomura and at Lehman Brothers in the area of Equity Capital Markets. Mr. Gishen graduated from the University
of Leeds.
Jamie
Weinstein, Director
Jamie
Weinstein has served on our board of directors since our initial public offering. Mr. Weinstein is a managing director, portfolio manager
and head of corporate special situations at PIMCO, focusing on PIMCO’s opportunistic and alternative strategies within corporate
credit. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2019, Mr. Weinstein worked for KKR as a portfolio manager for the firm’s special situations funds
and portfolios, which he managed from their inception in 2009. Mr. Weinstein was also a member of KKR’s special situations, real
estate, and India NBFC investment committees and the KKR credit portfolio management committee. Previously, Mr. Weinstein was a portfolio
manager with responsibility across KKR’s credit strategies. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Weinstein was with Tishman Speyer Properties
as director of acquisitions for Northern California and at Boston Consulting Group as a consultant. Mr. Weinstein serves on the boards
of directors of Climate Real Impact Solutions II Acquisition Corporation and Sandbridge X2 Corporation. Mr. Weinstein has 20 years of
investment experience and received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Civil Engineering and Operations
Research from Princeton University. We believe Mr. Weinstein is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive
leadership and business experience, including his expertise in investment management and acquisitions.
Noreen
Doyle, Director
Noreen
Doyle has served on our board of directors since our initial public offering. Ms. Doyle retired in April 2021 as Chair of the Board of
Directors of Newmont Corporation, the world’s largest gold producer. She joined the Newmont Board in 2005 and since 2016 served
as Chair of the Board and of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Previously she served as Chair of the Audit Committee.
From 2004 to 2017, she served on the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group AG, including as Vice Chair and Senior Independent Director
from 2014 to 2017. Ms. Doyle has also served on the boards of Rexam PLC and QinetiQ plc. In her executive career, Ms. Doyle was First
Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) from 2001 to 2005, having previously served as head of
Risk Management and of Syndications. Prior to EBRD, Ms. Doyle was a senior officer at Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche Bank) specializing
in leveraged finance and natural resources. Ms. Doyle holds an MBA from Tuck School at Dartmouth, where she served on its Board of Overseers,
and a B.A. from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, where she served on and chaired its Board of Trustees. We believe Ms. Doyle is well
qualified to serve on our board of directors based on her experience and network in the financial services industry.
William
Janetschek, Director
William
Janetschek has served on our board of directors since our initial public offering. Mr. Janetschek joined KKR in 1997 and retired in 2020
as a Partner and its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Janetschek was also a member of KKR’s Balance Sheet Committee, Global Valuation
Committee and Risk and Operations Committee. Prior to joining KKR, he was a Tax Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Mr. Janetschek
serves on the board of directors of Bilander Acquisition Corp. He also serves as a sponsor and member of a variety of non-profit organizations
including Student Sponsor Partners and St. Brigid Catholic Church. Mr. Janetschek holds a M.S. from Pace University and a B.S. from St.
John’s University, where he is now the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. We believe Mr. Janetschek’s finance and operations
experience makes him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.
53
Number
and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our
board of directors consists of four members and is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in
each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first general meeting) serving a three-year term.
On April 8, 2022, David Poritz resigned from our board of directors. David Poritz’s resignation was not the result of any
dispute or disagreement with us or our board of directors on any matter relating to our operations, policies or practices, including
our controls of financial-related matters. In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to
hold an annual general meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. The term of office
of the first class of directors will expire at our first annual general meeting. Prior to his resignation on April 8, 2022, David
Poritz was the sole director in our first class of directors. We expect to appoint a new director who will serve in the first class
of directors. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Noreen Doyle and William Janetschek, will expire at
the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Tidjane Thiam and Jamie
Weinstein, will expire at the third annual general meeting.
Only
holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint or remove directors in any general meeting held prior to or in connection
with the completion of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment
of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to the rights
of holders of Class B ordinary shares to appoint or remove directors may be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at
least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion
of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint officers as it deems
appropriate pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Director
Independence
The
rules of the NYSE require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering.
An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of
directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder, stockholder or
officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Our board of directors has determined that Noreen Doyle and
William Janetschek are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules.
Following the resignation of David Poritz as a director on April 8, 2022, we expect to appoint a new independent director. Our
independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Officer
and Director Compensation
None
of our officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing February 26, 2021 through the
earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof up to
$10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided to members of our management
team and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective
affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying
potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly
basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to
an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of
such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors
and officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying
and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including
finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates,
prior to completion of our initial business combination.
54
After
the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting
or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in
the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed initial business
combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or
members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination,
because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation
to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee
constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We
do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation
of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment
or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or
consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting
a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business
combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any
agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
Our
board of directors has three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance
committee. Both our audit committee and our compensation committee will be composed solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in
rules, the rules of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely
of independent directors, and the rules of the NYSE require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance
committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee operates under a charter that has been approved
by our board of directors and has the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee is available on
our website at https://freedomac1.com/investor-resources/#resources/.
Audit
Committee
Noreen
Doyle and William Janetschek serve as the members and William Janetschek serves as chair of the audit committee. Noreen Doyle and
William Janetschek are independent of and unaffiliated with our sponsor and our underwriters. Following the resignation of David Poritz on April 8, 2022, we expect to appoint a new independent director who will serve as a member
of our audit committee. Under the NYSE
listing standards and applicable SEC rules, all the directors on the audit committee must be independent.
Noreen
Doyle and William Janetschek are financially literate and our board of directors has determined that William
Janetschek qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or
related financial management expertise.
We
have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the purpose and principal functions of the audit committee, including:
● assisting
board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with
legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting
firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal
audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation,
retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public
accounting firm and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged
by us;
● pre-approving
all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting
firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval
policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public
accounting firm all relationships the registered public accounting firm has with us
in order to evaluate their continued independence;
● setting
clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public
accounting firm;
55
● setting
clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered
public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s
internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent
internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the independent registered public
accounting firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional
authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits
carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;
● meeting
to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements
with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing
our specific disclosures under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any
related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation
S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and
● reviewing
with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors,
as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence
with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports
that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies
and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
Compensation
Committee
Noreen
Doyle and William Janetschek serve as the members. Following the resignation of David Poritz on April 8, 2022, we expect to appoint
another director to serve as chair of the compensation committee, and we expect to appoint a new independent director who will serve
as a member of our compensation committee. Under the NYSE listing standards, all the directors on the compensation committee must be
independent.
We
have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the purpose and responsibilities of the compensation committee, including:
● reviewing
and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our chief
executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our chief executive officer’s
performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the
remuneration (if any) of our chief executive officer’s based on such evaluation;
● reviewing
and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and
any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to board approval of all
of our other officers;
● reviewing
our executive compensation policies and plans;
● implementing
and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
● assisting
management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
● approving
all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit
arrangements for our officers and employees;
● producing
a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
● reviewing,
evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of up to $10,000 per month, for up to 24 months,
for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support, other expenses and obligations of our sponsor and reimbursement
of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders,
officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation
of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the
compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into
in connection with such initial business combination.
The
charter also provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant,
independent legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work
of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other
adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NYSE and
the SEC.
56
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
The
members of our nominating and corporate governance committee are Noreen Doyle and William Janetschek. Noreen Doyle
serves as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Following the resignation of David Poritz on April 8, 2022, we expect to appoint a new independent director who will serve
as a member of our nominating and corporate governance committee. Under the NYSE listing standards, all the directors on the
nominating and corporate governance committee must be independent.
We
have adopted a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which details the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating
and corporate governance committee, including:
● identifying,
screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria
approved by the board of directors, and recommending to the board of directors candidates
for nomination for appointment at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on
the board of directors;
● developing
and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate
governance guidelines;
● coordinating
and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual
directors and management in the governance of the company; and
● reviewing
on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and
when necessary.
The
charter also provides that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice
of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and will be directly responsible for approving the search
firm’s fees and other retention terms.
We
have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess.
In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of
professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent
the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right
to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None
of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one
or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our ordinary shares
to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. These reporting persons are also required to furnish us with copies
of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon a review of such forms, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2021
there were no delinquent filers.
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics
We
have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. You can review this document
by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
and the charters of the committees of our board of directors are provided on our website at https://freedomac1.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Freedom-Acquisition-I-Corp.-Code-of-Ethics.pdf.
If we make any amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments,
or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our principal
executive officer, principal financial officer principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring
disclosure under applicable SEC or NYSE rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website.
57
Conflicts
of Interest
Under
Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
(i)
duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;
(ii)
duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;
(iii)
directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;
(iv)
duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders;
(v)
duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests;
and
(vi)
duty to exercise independent judgment.
In
addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement
to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person
carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience
of that director.
As
set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing,
or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be
forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by
way of permission granted in the memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Each
of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations
to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to
such entity. Accordingly, if any of our 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 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 applicable law: (i)
no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain
from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any
interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate
opportunity for any director or officer on the one hand, and us, on the other. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties
or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Below
is a table summarizing the other entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
Individual
Entity/Organization
Entity’s
Business
Affiliation
Tidjane Thiam
Kering S.A.
Luxury goods
Director and Chair of Audit Committee Chairman
Rwanda Finance Limited
State-owned enterprise to promote and develop
Rwanda as a business and financial center
Adam Gishen
N/A
N/A
Jamie Weinstein
PIMCO
Finance
Managing Director
Sandbridge X2 Corporation
SPAC
Director
Climate Real Impact Solutions II Acquisition Corporation
SPAC
Director
Noreen Doyle
N/A
N/A
N/A
William Janetschek
Bilander Acquisition Corp.
SPAC
Director
58
There
are also other potential conflicts of interest:
● Our
officers and directors are not required to, and will not commit their full time to our affairs,
which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations
and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. Each of our officers
is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial
compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specified amount
of time to our affairs.
● Our
initial shareholders purchased founder shares and private placement warrants. Our initial
shareholders, 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 any
founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our
initial business combination. Additionally, our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers
and directors have agreed to waive 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 prescribed time frame. If we do not complete
our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, the private placement
warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers
and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of any founder shares (including
the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof) until the earlier to occur
of: (i) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) the
date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete
a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all
of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities
or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last reported sales price of
our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share
sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for
any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our
initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lockup.
● The
private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise
of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable until 30 days following
the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our officers and
directors will own ordinary shares or warrants directly or indirectly, they may have
a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate
business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
● 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.
We
are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or
directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor,
officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our
sponsor, officers or directors, a committee of independent and disinterested directors would consider, review and approve the
transaction. Additionally, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, would obtain an opinion from an
independent investment banking firm or a valuation or appraisal firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our
company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. Furthermore, in no event
will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, be paid by the company any
finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the
completion of our initial business combination. Further, commencing on the date our securities are first listed on the NYSE, we will
also pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative
services provided to members of our management team and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor.
We
cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
In
the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers
and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them, and they have agreed to vote any founder shares and public shares
held by them in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation
on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman
Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification
of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public
policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted
by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful
neglect. We have purchased a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors
against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify
our officers and directors. We have also entered into indemnity agreements with them.
59
Our
officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account,
and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of,
any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification
provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an
initial business combination.
Our
indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their
fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and
directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s
investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors
pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We
believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced
officers and directors.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
None
of our officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. We pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof
up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided to members of our management
team and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective
affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying
potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly
basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to
an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of
such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors
and officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying
and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including
finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates,
prior to completion of our initial business combination.
After
the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting
or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in
the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed initial business
combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or
members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination,
because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation
to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee
constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We
do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation
of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment
or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or
consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting
a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business
combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any
agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The
following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares available to us at April 8,
2022, with respect to our ordinary shares held by:
●
each person known by us
to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares;
●
each of our officers and
directors; and
●
all our officers and directors
as a group.
60
Unless
otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all of our
ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement
warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of April 8, 2022.
On
December 30, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in exchange for
founder shares such that our sponsor owned 8,625,000 founder shares (retroactively adjusting for the issuance of 1,437,500 founder
shares resulting from a share dividend effected by the Company on February 25, 2021). Our sponsor transferred 25,000 founder shares
each to Noreen Doyle, William Janetschek and David Poritz and an aggregate of 47,500 founder shares to certain employees and
consultants. On April 8, 2022, David Poritz resigned from our board of directors and returned his 25,000 founder shares to our
sponsor. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or
intangible.
Class A ordinary shares
Class B ordinary shares(2)
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned
Approximate Percentage of Class
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned
Approximate Percentage of Class
Approximate Percentage of Ordinary Shares
Freedom Acquisition I LLC(3)
—
—
8,527,500
98.9%
19.8%
Entities affiliated with Glazer Capital, LLC(4)
2,590,299
7.5%
—
—
6.0%
Entities affiliated with Pacific Investment Management
Company LLC(5)
2,475,000
7.2%
5.7%
Tidjane Thiam
—
—
—
—
—
Adam Gishen
—
—
—
—
—
Jamie Weinstein
—
—
—
—
—
Noreen Doyle
—
—
25,000
*
*
William Janetschek
—
—
25,000
*
*
All officers and directors as a group (five individuals)
—
—
50,000
*
*
* Less
than one percent.
_______________
(1)
Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each
of the following is 14 Wall Street, 20th Floor, New York, 10005.
(2)
Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified
as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately
following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment.
(3)
Freedom Acquisition I LLC, our sponsor, is the record
holder of such shares. Mr. Thiam, Mr. Gishen and Mr. Bhatia are the three managers of our sponsor’s board of managers. Each
manager of Freedom Acquisition I LLC has one vote, and the approval of a majority of the members of the board of managers is required
to approve an action of Freedom Acquisition I LLC. Under the so-called “rule of three,” if voting and dispositive decisions
regarding an entity’s securities are made by three or more individuals, and a voting and dispositive decision requires the
approval of a majority of those individuals, then none of the individuals is deemed a beneficial owner of the entity’s securities.
This is the situation with regard to Freedom Acquisition I LLC. Based upon the foregoing analysis, no individual manager of Freedom
Acquisition I LLC exercises voting or dispositive control over any of the securities held by Freedom Acquisition I LLC even those
in which he directly holds a pecuniary interest. Accordingly, none of them will be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of
such shares and, for the avoidance of doubt, expressly disclaims any such beneficial interest to the extent of any pecuniary interest
he may have therein, directly or indirectly.
(4)
The information in the
table above is based solely on information contained in this shareholder’s Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act filed by such
shareholder with the SEC on February 14, 2022. Glazer Capital, LLC (“Glazer Capital”) and Paul J. Glazer, who serves
as the managing member of Glazer Capital, have shared voting and dispositive power with respect to the Class A ordinary shares held
by certain funds and managed accounts to which Glazer Capital serves as investment manager (collectively, the “Glazer Funds”).
The address for the Glazer Funds and Paul J. Glazer is 250 West 55th Street, Suite 30A, New York, New York 10019.
(5)
Consists of 2,475,000 Class A ordinary shares owned by LVS III SPE XLIII LP and its affiliates (“LVS III” or “PIMCO
Private Fund”). The address for the PIMCO Private Fund is c/o Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, 650 Newport Center Dr.,
Newport Beach, CA 92660.
Our
initial shareholders beneficially own 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will
have the right to appoint and remove directors in any general meeting held prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial
business combination. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint or remove any directors to our board of directors
prior to our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence
the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
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In
connection with our initial public offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 private placement warrants, each exercisable
to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, at a price of $1.50 per warrant, $9,400,000 in the
aggregate, in a private placement that occurred simultaneously with the closing of our initial offering. The private placement warrants
are identical to the warrants sold in our offering except that the private placement warrants, so long as they are held by our sponsor
or its permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by us (except as described in the registration statement for our initial public
offering), (ii) will be subject to the transfer restrictions described below, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis
and (iv) will be entitled to registration rights. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing
of our initial public offering or during any Extension Period, the private placement warrants will expire worthless.
Freedom
Acquisition I LLC, our sponsor, and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under
the federal securities laws. See “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence” for
additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.
Transfers
of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The
founder shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject
to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreement entered into by our sponsor and management team. Those lock-up
provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A)
one year after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the
last reported sales price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share
capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing
at least 150 days after our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination
on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having
the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property and (ii) in the case of the private placement
warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion or exercise thereof, until 30 days after the completion of our initial
business combination except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of our officers or directors,
any affiliate of our sponsor or to any member of the sponsor or any affiliates of such members and funds and accounts advised by such
members, (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which
is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of
an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to
a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar
arrangement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares
or warrants were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s limited liability company
agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor, (g) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination;
or (h) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share
exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares
for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) these permitted transferees must
enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter
agreements.
Registration
Rights
The
holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of our initial public offering, (ii)
private placement warrants, which were issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering and
the Class A ordinary shares underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion
of working capital loans are entitled to registration rights to require us to register the resale of any of our securities held by them
pursuant to a registration rights agreement. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short
form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with
respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses
incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
62
Equity
Compensation Plans
As
of December 31, 2021, we had no compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which equity securities were
authorized for issuance.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
On
December 30, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in exchange for
founder shares such that our sponsor owned 8,625,000 founder shares (retroactively adjusting for the issuance of 1,437,500 founder
shares resulting from a share dividend effected by the Company on February 25, 2021). Our sponsor transferred 25,000 founder shares
each to Noreen Doyle, William Janetschek and David Poritz and an aggregate of 47,500 founder shares to certain employees and
consultants. On April 8, 2022, David Poritz resigned from our board of directors and returned his 25,000 founder shares to our
sponsor. As such, our sponsor now owns 8,527,500 founder shares. Our initial shareholders collectively own 20% of our issued and
outstanding shares as of our initial public offering.
In
connection with our initial public offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 private placement warrants, each exercisable
to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, at a price of $1.50 per warrant, or $9,400,000 in
the aggregate, in a private placement that closed simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. The private placement
warrants are identical to the warrants sold in our initial public offering except that the private placement warrants, so long as they
are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by us (except as described in the registration statement
for our initial public offering), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days
after the completion of our initial business combination, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) will be
entitled to registration rights.
The
PIMCO private fund purchased, or one or more of its affiliates purchased, an aggregate of 2,475,000 units in our initial public offering
at the public offering price.
We
currently utilize office space at 14 Wall Street, 20th Floor, New York, 10005 as our executive offices. We pay our sponsor or an affiliate
thereof up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided to members of our
management team and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation,
we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes until 24
months after the closing of our initial public offering, our sponsor will be paid an aggregate of up to approximately $240,000 ($10,000
per month) for office space, administrative and support services, and other expenses and obligations of our sponsor and will be entitled
to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.
No
compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors,
or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination.
However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such
as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee reviews
on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
Our
sponsor agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of our initial public
offering. These loans were non-interest bearing and unsecured, and were repaid upon completion of the initial public offering out of
the offering proceeds that had been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in
the trust account. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this loan transaction corresponded to the principal amount outstanding
under any such loan.
On
April 1, 2022, we issued an unsecured promissory note (the “Note”) in the amount of up to $500,000 to our
sponsor. The proceeds of the Note, which may be drawn down from time to time until we consummate our initial business combination,
will be used for general working capital purposes. The Note bears no interest and is payable in full upon the earlier to occur of
(i) twenty-four (24) months from the closing of our initial public offering (or such later date as may be extended in accordance
with the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of Association) or (ii) the consummation of our business
combination. A failure to pay the principal within five business days of the date specified above or the commencement of a voluntary
or involuntary bankruptcy action shall be deemed an event of default, in which case the Note may be accelerated. Prior to the
Company’s first payment of all or any portion of the principal balance of the Note in cash, our sponsor has the option to
convert all, but not less than all, of the principal balance of the Note into private placement warrants (the “Conversion
Warrants”), each warrant exercisable for one ordinary share of the Company at an exercise price of $1.50 per share. The terms
of the Conversion Warrants would be identical to the warrants issued by the Company to the sponsor in a private placement that was
consummated in connection with our initial public offering. Our sponsor shall be entitled to certain registration rights relating to
the Conversion Warrants. The issuance of the Note was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
63
In
order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination,
our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us additional
funds as may be required on a non-interest basis. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts.
In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust
account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such
loans may be convertible into private placement warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the
option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants described above. Prior to the completion of
our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as
we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to
funds in our trust account.
Any
of the foregoing payments to our sponsor, repayments of loans from our sponsor or repayments of working capital loans prior to our initial
business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account.
After
our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees
from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy
solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation
will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial
business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director
compensation.
We
have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private placement warrants, which is described
under the heading “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters—Registration
Rights.”
Policy
for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The
audit committee of our board of directors has adopted a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval
or ratification of “related party transactions.” A “related party transaction” is any consummated or proposed
transaction or series of transactions: (i) in which the company was or is to be a participant; (ii) the amount of which exceeds (or is
reasonably expected to exceed) the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of the company’s total assets at year end for the prior
two completed fiscal years in the aggregate over the duration of the transaction (without regard to profit or loss); and (iii) in which
a “related party” had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related parties” under this
policy will include: (i) our directors, nominees for director or officers; (ii) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any
class of our voting securities; (iii) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person;
and (iv) any other person who maybe a “related person” pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Pursuant
to the policy, the audit committee will consider (i) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including
if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party,
(ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics
or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests
of the company and its shareholders and (v) the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member
of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each
proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate
related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth
in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related
person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
Director
Independence
The
rules of the NYSE require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering.
An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of
directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder, stockholder or
officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Our board of directors has determined that Noreen Doyle and
William Janetschek are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules.
Following the resignation of David Poritz as a director on April 8, 2022, we expect to appoint a new independent director. Our
independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
64
Item
14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The
firm of Marcum LLP, or Marcum, acts as our independent registered public accounting firm. The following is a summary of fees paid to
Marcum for services rendered.
Audit
Fees . During the period from December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021, fees for our independent registered public
accounting firm were approximately $125,918 for the services Marcum performed in connection with our Initial Public Offering
and the audit of our December 31, 2021 financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Audit-Related
Fees. During the period from December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021, our independent registered public accounting
firm did not render assurance and related services related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements.
Tax
Fees . During the period from December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021, our independent registered public accounting
firm did not render services to us for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
All
Other Fees . During the period from December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021, there were no fees billed for products
and services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm other than those set forth above.
Pre-Approval
Policy
Our
audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our Initial Public Offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve
all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board
of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve
all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject
to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to
the completion of the audit).
65
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a) The
following documents are filed as part of this Form 10-K:
(1) Financial Statements:
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-2
Balance Sheets
F-3
Statements of Operations
F-4
Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity
F-5
Statements of Cash Flows
F-6
Notes to Financial Statements
F-7
(2) Financial Statement Schedules:
None.
(3) Exhibits
We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits
listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be accessed on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
Exhibit No.
Description
3.1
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
4.1
Description of Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Amended*
4.2
Warrant Agreement, dated February 25, 2021, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.1
A Letter Agreement, dated February 25, 2021, among the Company and its officers and directors and Freedom Acquisition I, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.2
Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated February 25, 2021, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.3
Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 25, 2021, between the Company and certain security holders (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.4
Administrative Services Agreement, dated February 25, 2021, between the Company and Freedom Acquisition I LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.5
Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement, dated December 2, 2020, between the Company and Freedom Acquisition I LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2021).
10.6
Promissory Note issued to Freedom Acquisition I LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2022)
31.1
Certification of the Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
31.2
Certification of the Registrant’s Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
32.1
Certification of the Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
32.2
Certification of the Registrant’s Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
101.INS*
Inline XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104*
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
* Filed herewith.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Not applicable.
66
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on April 12, 2022.
Freedom Acquisition I Corp.
By:
/s/ Adam Gishen
Name:
Adam Gishen
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed by the following persons in the capacity and on the dates indicated.
Name
Position
Date
/s/ Tidjane Thiam
Executive Chairman
April 12, 2022
Tidjane Thiam
/s/ Adam Gishen
Chief Executive Officer and Board Observer
April 12, 2022
Adam Gishen
/s/ Jamie Weinstein
Director
April 12, 2022
Jamie Weinstein
/s/ Noreen Doyle
Director
April 12, 2022
Noreen Doyle
/s/ William Janetschek
Director
April 12, 2022
William Janetschek
67
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
Financial Statements of FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP:
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB # 688 ) F-2
Balance Sheets F-3
Statements of Operations F-4
Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) F-5
Statements of Cash Flows F-6
Notes to Financial Statements F-7
F- 1
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Freedom Acquisition I Corp.
Opinion on the Financial
Statements
We have audited the accompanying
balance sheets of Freedom Acquisition I Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related statements of
operations, changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from
December 23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”).
In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December
31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from December
23, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements
have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1, the Company’s
business plan is dependent on the consummation of a business combination. If a business combination is not consummated by the mandatory
liquidation date there will be a liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. These conditions raise substantial doubt about
the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility
of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audit s .
We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and
are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules
and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards
of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements
are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform,
an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal
control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control
over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess
the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond
to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Marcum llp
Marcum llp
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
New York, NY
April 12, 2022
F- 2
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
BALANCE SHEETS
December 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Assets
Current assets:
Cash
$ 277,583
$ —
Prepaid expenses - short term
724,066
—
Deferred offering costs associated with IPO
—
127,691
Total current assets
1,001,649
127,691
Prepaid expenses - long term
113,073
Marketable securities held in Trust Account
345,105,681
—
Total assets
$ 346,220,403
$ 127,691
Liabilities, Redeemable Ordinary Shares
and Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
2,579,641
108,185
Total current liabilities
2,579,641
108,185
Warrant Liabilities
8,488,250
—
Deferred underwriters’ discount payable
12,075,000
—
Total Liabilities
$ 23,142,891
$ 108,185
Commitments
Class A Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption 34,500,000 and 0 shares subject to possible redemption at redemption value at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
345,000,000
—
Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity:
Preference shares, $ 0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding
—
—
Class A ordinary shares, $ 0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized
—
—
Class B ordinary shares, $ 0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 8,625,000 and 8,625,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
863
863
Additional paid-in capital
—
24,137
Accumulated deficit
( 21,923,351 )
( 5,494 )
Total shareholders’ (deficit) equity
( 21,922,488 )
19,506
Total liabilities, Redeemable Ordinary Shares and Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity
$ 346,220,403
$ 127,691
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these financial statements.
F- 3
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the
Year
Ended
December 31,
2021
For the
period from
December 23,
2020
(inception)
through
December 31,
2020
Operating costs
$ 3,782,028
$ 5,494
Loss from operations
( 3,782,028 )
( 5,494 )
Other income/(expense)
Foreign currency exchange loss
( 1,475 )
—
Interest income on marketable securities held in Trust Account
105,681
—
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
9,381,750
—
Offering expenses related to warrant issuance
( 575,278 )
—
Total other income
8,910,678
—
Net income (loss)
$ 5,128,650
$ ( 5,494 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, Class A ordinary shares
28,828,767
—
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A ordinary shares
$ 0.14
$ —
Weighted average shares outstanding, Class B ordinary shares
8,440,068
7,500,000
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share, Class B ordinary shares
$ 0.14
$ ( 0.00 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these financial statements.
F- 4
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’
(DEFICIT) EQUITY
Ordinary Shares
Additional
Total
Class A
Class B
Paid-In
Accumulated
Shareholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit
(Deficit) Equity
Balance as of December 23, 2020 (inception)
—
$ —
—
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor
—
—
8,625,000
863
24,137
—
25,000
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 5,494 )
( 5,494 )
Balance as of December 31, 2020
—
—
8,625,000
863
24,137
( 5,494 )
19,506
Sale of Units in Initial Public Offering, net of underwriter fee
34,500,000
3,450
—
—
—
—
3,450
Excess of the fair value of private placement warrants over cash received
—
—
—
—
1,880,000
—
1,880,000
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
( 34,500,000 )
( 3,450 )
—
—
—
—
( 3,450 )
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
—
—
—
—
( 1,904,137 )
( 27,046,507 )
( 28,950,644 )
Net income
—
—
—
—
—
5,128,650
5,128,650
Balance as of December 31, 2021
—
$ —
8,625,000
$ 863
$ —
$ ( 21,923,351 )
$ ( 21,922,488 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these financial statements.
F- 5
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
2021
For the
period from
December 23,
2020 (inception)
through
December 31,
2020
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)
$ 5,128,650
$ ( 5,494 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Formation cost paid by related party
5,494
Interest earned on trust account
( 105,681 )
—
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
( 9,381,750 )
—
Offering costs allocated to warrants
575,278
—
Changes in current assets and current liabilities:
Prepaid expenses
( 837,139 )
—
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
2,579,641
—
Net cash used in operating activities
( 2,041,001 )
—
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchase of marketable securities held in Trust Account
( 1,035,163,516 )
—
Disposal of marketable securities held in Trust Account
690,164,000
—
Cash deposited in Trust Account
( 484 )
—
Net cash used in investing activities
( 345,000,000 )
—
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Initial Public Offering, net of underwriters’ discount
338,595,000
—
Proceeds from issuance of Private Placement Warrants
9,400,000
—
Repayment of promissory note to related party
( 90,996 )
—
Payments of offering costs
( 585,420 )
—
Net cash provided by financing activities
347,318,584
—
Net Change in Cash
277,583
—
Cash - Beginning
—
—
Cash - Ending
$ 277,583
$ —
Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities:
Initial value of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
$ 345,000,000
$ —
Initial value of warrant liabilities
$ 17,870,000
$ —
Deferred underwriters’ discount payable charged to additional paid-in capital
$ 12,075,000
$ —
Deferred offering costs paid under promissory note
$ 90,996
$ —
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance for Class B ordinary shares
$ —
$ 25,000
Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses
$ —
$ 108,185
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these financial statements.
F- 6
FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Organization and General
Freedom Acquisition I Corp.
(the “Company”) was incorporated in Cayman Islands on December 23, 2020. The Company was formed for the purpose of entering
into a merger, capital share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more
businesses (a “Business Combination”). The Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes
of consummating a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject
to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year
end.
The Company’s sponsor
is Freedom Acquisition I LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”).
As of December 31, 2021,
the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through December 31, 2021, relates to the Company’s formation and
the Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the
completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest
income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the IPO.
Financing
The registration statement
for the Company’s IPO was declared effective on February 25, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). On March 2, 2021, the Company
consummated the IPO of 34,500,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in
the Units being offered, the “public share”), at $ 10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $ 345,000,000 , which is
discussed in Note 3.
Simultaneously with the
closing of the IPO, the Company consummated the sale of 6,266,667 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”),
at a price of $ 1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, which is discussed in Note 4.
Transaction costs amounted
to $ 19,175,922 consisting of $ 6,405,000 of underwriting fee, $ 12,075,000 of deferred underwriting fee and $ 695,922 of
other offering costs. Of the total transaction cost, $ 575,278 was expensed as non-operating expenses in that statement of operations
with the rest of the offering cost charged to shareholders’ equity. The transaction costs were allocated based on the relative fair
value basis, compared to the total offering proceeds, between the fair value of the public warrant liabilities and the Class A ordinary
shares.
Trust Account
Following the closing of
the IPO on March 2, 2021, an amount of $ 345,000,000 from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the IPO and the sale of the
Private Placement Warrants was placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”) which is invested in U.S. government securities,
within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any
open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company
Act, as determined by the Company. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released
to the Company to pay its tax obligations, the proceeds from the IPO and the sale of the private placement units will not be released
from the Trust Account until the earliest of (a) the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, (b) the redemption
of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate
of incorporation, and (c) the redemption of the Company’s public shares if the Company is unable to complete the initial Business
Combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could
become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the Company’s
public shareholders.
F- 7
Initial Business Combination
The Company’s management
has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the IPO, although substantially all of the net proceeds
are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination.
The Company’s Business
Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80 % of the balance
in the Trust Account (net of taxes payable) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a Business Combination. However, the
Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination 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. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect
a Business Combination.
The Company will provide
its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business
Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the initial Business Combination or (ii) by means of
a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination or conduct
a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro
rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (initially $ 10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on
the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations).
The ordinary shares subject
to redemption is recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the IPO, in accordance with
Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the
Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $ 5,000,001 either immediately
prior to or upon consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding
shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.
The Company will have 24
months from the closing of the IPO (with the ability to extend with shareholder approval) to consummate a Business Combination (the “Combination
Period”). However, if the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will redeem 100 %
of the outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account, equal to the aggregate amount then on
deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company,
divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described in the registration statement,
and then seek to dissolve and liquidate.
The Company’s Sponsor,
officers and directors have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares
and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect
to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended
and restated certificate of incorporation, and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect
to their founder shares and private placement shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination
Period.
The Company’s Sponsor
has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold
to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or
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, less taxes payable, 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 the Company’s indemnity
of the underwriters of the IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, the Company has not
asked its Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether its Sponsor has
sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that the Company’s Sponsor’s only assets are securities
of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure that its Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations.
F- 8
Liquidity
As of December 31, 2021,
the Company had cash outside the Trust Account of $ 277,583 available for working capital needs. All remaining cash held in the Trust Account
are generally unavailable for the Company’s use prior to an initial Business Combination and is restricted for use either in a Business
Combination or to redeem ordinary shares. As of December 31, 2021, none of the amount in the Trust Account was available to be withdrawn
as described above.
Through December 31, 2021, the
Company’s liquidity needs were satisfied through receipt of $ 25,000 from the sale of the founder shares, the promissory
note of $ 90,996 , which was used to cover expenses related to the IPO and was fully repaid as of the IPO date, and the remaining
net proceeds from the IPO and the sale of Private Placement Units.
The Company anticipates
that the $ 277,583 outside of the Trust Account as of December 31, 2021, together with the $ 500,000 working capital loan from the
Sponsor, will be sufficient to allow the Company to operate for at least the next 12 months from the issuance of the financial statements,
assuming that a Business Combination is not consummated during that time. Until consummation of its Business Combination, the Company
will be using the funds not held in the Trust Account, and any additional Working Capital Loans (as defined in Note 5) from the initial
shareholders, the Company’s officers and directors, or their respective affiliates (which is described in Note 5), for identifying
and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and
from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements
of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business
Combination.
The Company does not believe
it will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating its business. However, if the Company’s
estimates of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating business combination is less than the actual amount necessary
to do so, the Company may have insufficient funds available to operate its business prior to the business combination. Moreover, the Company
will need to raise additional capital through loans from its Sponsor, officers, directors, or third parties. None of the Sponsor, officers
or directors are under any obligation to advance funds to, or to invest in, the Company. If the Company is unable to raise additional
capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to,
curtailing operations, suspending the pursuit of its business plan, and reducing overhead expenses. The Company cannot provide any assurance
that new financing will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all.
Going Concern
In connection with the Company’s
assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Update
(“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,”
the Company has until March 2, 2023 (absent any extensions of such period with shareholder approval) to consummate the initial Business
Combination. It is uncertain that the Company will be able to consummate the initial Business Combination by this time. If a Business
Combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management
has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets
or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after March 2, 2023. The Company intends to complete the initial Business Combination
before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any Business Combination
by March 2, 2023.
Risks and Uncertainties
On January 30, 2020,
the World Health Organization (“WHO”) announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus (the “COVID-19 outbreak”).
In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, based on the rapid increase in exposure globally. The
full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Company’s
financial position will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak and related advisories and restrictions.
These developments and the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the financial markets and the overall economy are highly uncertain
and cannot be predicted. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy are impacted for an extended period, the Company’s
financial position may be materially adversely affected. Additionally, the Company’s ability to complete an initial Business Combination
may be materially adversely affected due to significant governmental measures being implemented to contain the COVID-19 outbreak
or treat its impact, including travel restrictions, the shutdown of businesses and quarantines, among others, which may limit the Company’s
ability to have meetings with potential investors or affect the ability of a potential target company’s personnel, vendors
and service providers to negotiate and consummate an initial Business Combination in a timely manner. The Company’s ability to consummate
an initial Business Combination may also be dependent on the ability to raise additional equity and debt financing, which may be impacted
by the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting market downturn.
F- 9
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial
statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”)
for financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging
growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), as modified
by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may 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 its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding
a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1)
of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until
private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class
of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS
Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging
growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period
which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company,
as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.
This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company
nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential
differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial
statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets
and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liab
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