Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co S-1, filed Dec 23, 2025
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. (ARCI)
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 2025.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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6770 |
N/A |
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(State or other jurisdiction of |
(Primary Standard Industrial |
(I.R.S. Employer |
Long Long
Chief Executive Officer
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co.
(
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Copies to:
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Mitchell S. Nussbaum |
Andrew Barker Walkers (Cayman) LLP 190 Elgin Avenue George Town Grand Cayman KY1-9001 Cayman Islands |
Joel L. Rubinstein Daniel E. Nussen White & Case LLP 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Tel: (212) 819-8200 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.
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Large accelerated filer |
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Accelerated filer |
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Smaller reporting company |
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Emerging growth company |
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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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 23, 2025
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$200,000,000
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co.
20,000,000 Units
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region although we intend to focus our search for business combination targets in the technology industry.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will become exercisable at the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or our liquidation, as described in this prospectus. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may redeem the warrants once they become exercisable. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their 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 described below calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, including interest (net of amounts withdrawn to fund our working capital requirements, subject to an annual limit of $500,000, and to pay our taxes (“permitted withdrawals”)), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our “public shares,” subject to the limitations described herein. 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 will 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 this offering, without our prior consent, as described in more detail in this prospectus. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination.
We have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of this offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate our initial business combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association by special resolution to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination (as well as to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the time periods described herein or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity). If we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of public shares will be offered an opportunity to redeem their shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law. We refer to the time period we have to complete an initial business combination, as it may be extended as described above, as the “completion window.” If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will redeem 100% of the issued and outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.
Our sponsor, Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (which we refer to as our “sponsor” throughout this prospectus), and BTIG, LLC, the representative of the underwriters in the offering (“BTIG”), have committed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 units, or “private units” (330,000 private units by the sponsor and 250,000 private units by BTIG), or 640,000 private units (330,000 private units by the sponsor and 310,000 private units by BTIG) if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private unit will consist of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. We refer to the ordinary shares included in the private units throughout this prospectus as the “private shares” and the warrants included in the private units as the “private warrants.” The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus. The private warrants will be identical to the warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules.
Our sponsor currently holds 5,750,000 ordinary shares (which were purchased for $25,000 and which we refer to as “founder shares”), up to 750,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share surrender, repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to the founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private units and assuming the sponsor does not purchase units in this offering), with any such change in the number of founder shares to be allocated to our sponsor. See “Summary – Our Acquisition Process,” “Summary – Private Placements,” “Summary – The Offering – Founder Shares,” “Risk Factors — General Risks — Our sponsor paid a nominal price for the founder shares and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution upon the purchase of our ordinary shares” and “Certain Relationship and Related Party Transactions”.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares, private shares and private warrants will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Additionally, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses and we will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. We will repay any loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination; up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Our public shareholders may experience material dilution if the $1,500,000 in working capital loans is fully advanced by the sponsor and the sponsor elects to convert the working capital loans into private units at $10.00 per unit, resulting in the sponsor receiving an additional 150,000 private units. The private warrants underlying the private units are exercisable on a cashless basis and, if exercised on such cashless basis, may result in material dilution to our public shareholders. Upon consummation of our initial business combination, we will also reimburse our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination.
Our sponsor and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. Additionally, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. See “Summary – Our Acquisition Process,” “Summary – Potential Conflicts,” “Summary – The Offering – Conflicts of Interest,” “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest” for additional information.
The following table illustrates the difference between the public offering price per unit and our net tangible book value per share (NTBV), as adjusted to give effect to this offering and assuming the redemption of our public shares at varying levels and the exercise in full and no exercise of the over-allotment option. See the sections titled “Prospectus Summary – Dilution” and “Dilution” for more information.
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As of August 15, 2025 |
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Offering Price of $10.00 per Unit
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25% of Maximum Redemption |
50% of Maximum Redemption |
75% of Maximum Redemption |
Maximum Redemption |
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NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
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Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$7.59 |
$7.00 |
$3.00 |
$6.03 |
$3.97 |
$4.16 |
$5.84 |
$(1.10) |
$11.10 |
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Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$7.57 |
$6.98 |
$3.02 |
$6.02 |
$3.98 |
$4.13 |
$5.87 |
$(1.12) |
$11.12 |
Our sponsor and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Additionally, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. As a result, there may be actual or potential material conflicts of interest between our sponsor and our management team and their respective affiliates on the one hand, and purchasers in this offering on the other. See the sections titled “Summary — Conflicts of Interest”, “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest” for more information.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, ordinary shares or warrants. We intend to apply to list our units on The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “ARCIU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The ordinary shares and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) containing an audited balance sheet of the company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “ARCI” and “ARCIW,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 37 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
No offer or invitation, whether directly or indirectly, is being or may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of our securities.
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Per Unit |
Total |
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Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 200,000,000 | ||||
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Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) |
$ | 0.55 | $ | 11,000,000 | ||||
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | 9.45 | $ | 189,000,000 | ||||
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(1) |
$0.20 per unit sold in the base offering, or $4,000,000 (or up to $4,600,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination as described in this prospectus. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus, $200.0 million, or $230.0 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us as permitted withdrawals, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination; (2) 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 do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about , 2025.
Sole Book-Running Manager
BTIG
The date of this prospectus is , 2025.
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
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This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
General
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our “initial business combination.” To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. However, some members of our management team have previously engaged in discussions with potential business combination targets in their capacity as officers of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. (“Archimedes II”), a special purpose acquisition company which completed its initial public offering in February 2025 and is currently in the process of seeking a business combination target. We may pursue business combination targets that have previously been in discussions with Archimedes II’s management team.
Further, while we may pursue a business combination target in any business, industry or geographical location, we intend to focus our search for businesses in the technology industry, and our focus will be on the artificial intelligence, cloud services and automotive technology sectors.
Our management team and board members consist of seasoned professionals who have experience spanning the technology industry, including the sectors within the technology industry that we intend to focus on initially, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance and compliance and legal matters, and investment management. See “Management” and “Management – Prior Experience with Blank Check Companies” for additional information about our directors and executive officers. We believe that our officers’ and directors’ industry expertise, transaction experience and relationships may provide us with a substantial number of attractive potential business combination targets.
Dr. Eric R. Ball, our Chairman nominee, also serves as the Chairman of Archimedes II. Dr. Ball is a Founding General Partner of Impact Venture Capital, or Impact VC. Impact VC is a Silicon Valley based venture firm investing in early-stage applied artificial intelligence startup companies since 2016. Previously Dr. Ball held several senior level management positions in high growth technology companies. Dr. Ball was the Chief Financial Officer for C3.AI from 2015 to 2016. Prior to that Dr. Ball spent over a decade with Oracle Corp, including acting as Senior Vice President & Treasurer, and previously was a senior financial professional for Flextronics International, Cisco Systems, Avery Dennison, and AT&T. Dr. Ball has served as advisor and board member of several technology companies, including having served as chairman of the audit committee for the board of Glu Mobile Inc. Dr. Ball served as the Chairman of Archimedes I, which completed its merger with SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) in April 2022, and Dr. Ball remains as a Board member and is currently serving as the Audit Chair of SoundHound AI, Inc.
Long Long, our Chief Executive Officer and director since December 2025, was previously our Chief Financial Officer from August 2025 to December 2025. Mr. Long is also the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Archimedes II since June 2024. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as the Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners Co. (“Archimedes I”), which consummated its business combination with SoundHound AI, Inc. in April 2022. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Global SPAC Partners Co. (“Global SPAC”), a blank check company with $169 million held in trust which consummated its business combination with Gorilla Technology Group Inc. in 2022. From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. (“Ackrell SPAC”), a blank check company with $140 million held in trust which liquidated its trust and delisted from Nasdaq in August 2022. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Long was Vice President of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, sponsor of Twelve Seas Investment Company (“Twelve Seas”), a blank check company with $207 million held in trust that consummated its initial business combination with Brooge Energy Limited in December 2019. From 2006 to 2016, Mr. Long worked for IBM in a variety of Corporate Finance, Audit, and Managerial roles, both within the U.S. and internationally. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Long served as Finance Controller for IBM China’s Consulting Business Unit and Sales Channels. From 2013 to 2014, Mr. Long served as Strategy and Planning Manager for IBM China and, from January 2012 to December 2012, as a Senior Finance Analyst for IBM China. From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Long served as Internal Auditor for IBM’s Asia Pacific region and, from 2006 to 2009, as a financial analyst for IBM’s worldwide operations. Mr. Long graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance and a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Ming (K.M.) Chan has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 2025. Ms. Chan also serves as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes II. From April 2024 to March 2025, Ms. Chan was a project manager at Zurich Insurance. From 2021 to 2022, Ms. Chan served as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes I, Ackrell SPAC, and Global SPAC. From 2009 to 2021, and previously from 2000 to 2006, Ms. Chan worked for IBM throughout North America, Europe and Asia in Pricing, Internal Audit, Data Analytics, and Finance Transformation. From 2018 to 2021, Ms. Chan also co-founded and managed Hong Kong Community Composting ltd, a first-of-a-kind social enterprise diverting residential food waste from landfill to bioenergy facilities in collaboration with the local government. From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Chan worked as a senior consultant at global business consulting firm Protiviti. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Chan worked at Xerox in Corporate Finance. From 2017 to 2021, Ms. Chan served as a charity Advisory Board Member at Soap Cycling. Ms. Chan graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. Ms. Chan is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Ben Landen, our Chief Technology Officer since December 2025, was previously our director and Chief Executive Officer from August 2025 to December 2025. Mr. Landen also serves as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Landen served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes I. In 2020, Mr. Landen co-founded Superposition Venture Partners, a technology-focused early-stage and pre-IPO investment firm, and is serving as its Managing Director. From 2021 to October 2025, Mr. Landen has served as the Vice President of Business Development for the autonomous vehicle solutions developer, Cyngn Inc., after serving as the Senior Director of Product & Partnerships for Cyngn Inc. since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Landen was the Head of Product & Business Development at DeepScale (acquired by Tesla), a venture-backed startup that developed AI perception solutions for autonomous vehicles. Mr. Landen began his career as one of the first automotive business managers of Maxim Integrated, where he spearheaded the fledgling automotive business unit’s growth and ultimately managed a $100 million automotive semiconductor product line.
Daniel L. Sheehan, our director nominee, also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Sheehan served as the Chief Operating Officer of Archimedes I. From 2020 to 2022, Mr Sheehan served as a director of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. Since 1995, Mr. Sheehan has been an attorney licensed in the State of California. Since 2004, Mr. Sheehan has been the founder and managing partner of Silicon Valley Wealth Law, a law firm specializing in estate planning, tax planning, business planning, and special needs planning. Mr. Sheehan has expertise in handling federal and state income tax matters and disputes, in the formation and operation of business entities, and has provided strategic planning and technology enhancement guidance to new business ventures and established companies. Mr. Sheehan has senior management experience with companies in a range of industries, including computer-aided manufacturing, real estate development, health care, mining, and law. Mr. Sheehan has frequently consulted with venture capitalists to review and advise them about investment opportunities. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Sheehan was Chief Executive Officer of North Star Resources, a provider of technology for the extraction and refining of precious and strategic metals. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Sheehan was a partner in the law firm of Davidson, Sheehan & Jewel. Mr. Sheehan graduated from St. Mary’s College of California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management with honors. Mr. Sheehan received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Vishwesh Pai, our director nominee, also serves as a director of Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Pai served as Technology Advisor to Archimedes I. Since March 2025, Mr. Pai has served as Head of Product for Jira Service Management & AI at Atlassian. Since 2022, Mr. Pai has been a Partner at Alphatron Capital, A US-based venture capital firm investing in technology companies in India. From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Pai served as Senior Director of Product Management at ServiceNow for its AI Platform. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Pai was the Head of Product in Amazon for the Amazon Alexa Multimodal Cloud Platform. From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Pai was a Director of Product Management at Samsung. Prior to 2015, Mr. Pai held various software and engineering roles in Infosys Technologies, Qualcomm Inc., and Ayla Networks. Mr. Pai graduated from Visvesvaraya Technological University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, from North Carolina State University with a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering, and from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business with a Master of Business Administration degree.
The past performance of our management team or of their affiliates is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team’s or their affiliates’ performance as indicative of our future performance. Moreover, although some of our key personnel may remain with a target business in senior management or advisory positions following a business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. Additionally, our management team members are subject to certain conflicts of interest. For more information, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Sponsor and Management Team and their Respective Affiliates.”
Prior Experience with Blank Check Companies
Our management team and board members possess extensive experience in sponsoring and operating blank check companies, having served on the board or on the management team of various blank check companies as follows:
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. (Nasdaq: ATII) completed its initial public offering in February 2025, issuing 23,000,000 units, which included the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in the amount of 3,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $230,000,000. Each unit consisted of one ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. Dr. Eric R. Ball serves as the Chairman of the Board, Long Long serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a director, Daniel L. Sheehan serves as the Chief Financial Officer, and Vishwesh Pai serves as a director of Archimedes II. Archimedes II is currently in the process of seeking a business combination target.
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners Co. completed its initial public offering in March 2021 and completed its merger with SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) in April 2022; the merger raised $111 million through a common-equity private placement at $10.00 per share and approximately 96% of the public shares were redeemed in connection with the merger. Eric R. Ball served as Chairman of the Board of Archimedes I from 2021 until the consummation of its business combination with SoundHound AI, Inc. in April 2022. Dr. Ball remains as a Board member and is currently serving as its Audit Chair. Long Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes I and Daniel L. Sheehan served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2021 until the consummation of its business combination.
Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. completed its initial public offering in December 2020 and was not able to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame, thus the company liquidated its trust account and returned all trust proceeds to holders of its public shares in August 2022. Long Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. from 2019 to 2022. Daniel L. Sheehan served as a director from 2020 to 2022.
Global SPAC Partners Co. completed its initial public offering in April 2021 and completed its merger with Gorilla Technology Group (Nasdaq: GRRR) in July 2022 where approximately 90% of the public shares were redeemed in connection with the company’s extensions and merger. Long Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Global SPAC Partners Co. from 2020 until the consummation of its business combination.
Twelve Seas Investment Company completed its initial public offering in June 2018 and completed its merger with Brooge Energy Limited in December 2019 where approximately 82% of the public shares was redeemed in connection with the merger. Mr. Long served as Vice President of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, sponsor of Twelve Seas Investment Company, from 2017 until the consummation of its business combination in 2019.
Sponsor Information
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. is an affiliate of our sponsor, Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC. Formed in June 2025, the sponsor is a U.S.-based limited liability company formed for the purpose of acting as the sponsor in connection with this offering and the sponsor conducts no other business. The managing member of the sponsor is Long Long, our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Long controls the management of our sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by our sponsor. Members of our management team own, directly or indirectly, membership interests in our sponsor representing approximately 73.0% of the economic interests of the sponsor. See “Principal Shareholders — Sponsor Ownership” for information regarding the beneficial ownership of interests in our sponsor. Other than our management team, none of the other members of our sponsor will participate in our company’s activities.
Business Strategy
We believe that there are a range of target businesses that could benefit from our industry knowledge, relationships, capital and public vehicle. Our strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with a target operating in the technology industry. Our focus will be on the artificial intelligence, cloud services and automotive technology sectors. While we intend to initially focus on potential opportunities in the United States, the technology industry is global and we may pursue opportunities internationally.
Following the completion of this offering, our management team plans to identify and contact potential target businesses and start to evaluate and pursue a possible business combination. In addition, we will communicate the parameters of our search to our network of relationships and transaction sources to help us identify potential target businesses. We intend to leverage our team’s collective experience in the technology industry and capital markets to successfully complete a business combination, and then continue to support our target business with our industry relationships, insights and regulatory knowledge, financial expertise and capital resources.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that our management team is well positioned to identify attractive target businesses within the technology industry and to facilitate a successful business combination for the following reasons:
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Experience recognizing key technology trends: Our team has demonstrated a long history of managing and growing businesses at the epicenter of major technology trends. |
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Experience identifying strong management teams: With key members of our team having had significant senior executive roles at technology companies, we believe we have an ability to identify the characteristics of successful business leaders, and effective in engaging with these management teams. In addition, key members of our team have more recently been investing in many founder-led businesses. |
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History of operating experience: The members of our team are seasoned operators having held executive level roles in various companies. We have experience in developing and executing strategy, building and retaining teams, and executing business combinations among other activities. |
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Deep network and connections to company founders: Our team has many connections to company founders and business leaders across sectors within the technology industry. We have invested in many companies, served on many boards and have worked with many influential founders and senior management teams within the technology industry, and specifically the sectors we intend to initially focus on. |
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Prior SPAC Experience: Our management team possesses a strong understanding of the SPAC structure and market. Members of our management team have served as members of the board and management of an aggregate of seven SPACs that have completed initial public offerings, six of which have consummated a business combination. |
Investment Criteria
We intend to leverage the extensive network and experience of our management team in identifying a suitable target within the technology industry and structuring a business combination that is attractive to both the target and our public shareholders. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. While we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating prospective businesses, we may deviate from these criteria and guidelines should we see fit to do so:
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Clear and Sustainable Competitive Advantages: We intend to target businesses that differentiate themselves from their peers in ways that are difficult to replicate and have clear competitive advantages. |
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High Growth Potential and Cash Flow: We intend to seek businesses that are well positioned to grow in their respective markets and which have clear plans on how to leverage additional capital to accelerate growth. We expect to target businesses that have had, or expect to have, strong cash flow generation. |
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Experienced Management Teams: We intend to seek to target businesses that have strong, experienced management teams who we believe may benefit from our financial, managerial and investment expertise as well as our extensive industry networks and insights. We believe that identifying such management teams is particularly important given our target industry. |
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Attractive Valuations: We intend to only evaluate a business that, based on our due diligence and industry experience, represents an attractive valuation relative to publicly listed companies with similar characteristics or in similar industry segments. |
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Will Benefit from Being a Public Company: We intend to pursue a business that will benefit from being a public company, including potentially having broader access to capital and a public currency for acquisitions. |
Our Acquisition Process
While we have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us, we have engaged in an extensive research effort to identify a large number of potential targets.
We intend to leverage our resources and network for efficient outreach to commence immediately after the date of this prospectus. Our effort will be focused on creating proprietary transaction opportunities. We believe personal relationships built over time are critical not just in generating transaction opportunities, but also in consummating a 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 with 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.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders or members of our management team. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders or members of our management team, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our initial shareholders, 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 initial shareholders, officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. See “Management — Conflicts of Interest” for additional information.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our sponsor and its affiliates from us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and the securities issued and to be issued by us to our sponsor or its affiliates:
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Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be Received or Securities Issued or to be Issued |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid |
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Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC |
5,000,000 Ordinary shares(1) |
$25,000 |
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330,000 Private Units(1) |
$3,300,000 |
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Up to $300,000 |
Repayment of loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses. |
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$20,000 per month |
Office space, administrative and support services |
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Up to $1,500,000 in working capital loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit |
Working capital loans to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. |
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination |
Services in connection with identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. |
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(1) |
Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and the full forfeiture of 750,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares, private shares and private warrants will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Additionally, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses and we will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. We will repay any loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination; up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Upon consummation of our initial business combination, we will also reimburse our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Any issuance of shares, warrants and shares underlying warrants (which may be exercised on a cashless basis), including shares and warrants that may be converted from loans from the sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers, may result in a material dilution of our public shareholders’ equity interests.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor and other initial shareholders are likely to make a substantial profit on their investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline materially. The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the public shareholders:
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Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price |
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Number |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
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Initial Shareholders(1) |
5,000,000 | 19.5 | % | $ | 25,000 | 0.01 | % | $ | 0.01 | |||||||||||
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Private Shares |
580,000 | 2.3 | % | 5,800,000 | 2.82 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
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Public Shareholders |
20,000,000 | 78.2 | % | 200,000,000 | 97.17 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
| 25,580,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 205,825,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||||||
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(1) |
Assumes the full forfeiture of 750,000 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team may from time to time become aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue as an initial business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to a business combination transaction with us.
As described in “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities, including, without limitation, Archimedes II, pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties (including, without limitation, Archimedes II), he or she may be required to honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. As a result, Archimedes II may be given priority over us with respect to business combination opportunities, and our officers and/or directors may have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved and could have additional conflicts in the future. 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. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team may participate in the formation of, invest in (on behalf of themselves, their affiliates or its and their clients), or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior to completion of our initial business combination. As a result, our initial shareholders and members of our management team could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved.
Initial Business Combination
We will have up to 24 months from the closing of this offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate an initial business combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association by special resolution to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination (as well as to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the time periods described herein or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity). If we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of public shares will be offered an opportunity to redeem their shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals ), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law. If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within the completion window, we will redeem 100% of the issued and 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 us (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to liquidate and subsequently dissolve. We expect that the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per share (regardless of whether or not the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option), without taking into account any interest earned on such funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
Nasdaq listing rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
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 issued and 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 issued and 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 our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity securities of a target business 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 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test.
Potential Conflicts
Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our ordinary shares, or other instruments, such as units, shares or warrants, linked to our ordinary shares, following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. See “Management — Conflicts of Interest” for additional information.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares, private shares and private warrants will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Additionally, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses and we will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. We will repay any loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination; up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Upon consummation of our initial business combination, we will also reimburse our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that might be attractive to any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such initial business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such initial business combination opportunity to us. Certain of our other officers and directors currently may have certain relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations. For more information on the relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our management team, see “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
In addition, some of our officers and directors may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, additional blank check companies prior to completion of our initial business combination. As a result, our officers and/or directors may have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved and could have additional conflicts in the future.
Private Placements
On August 4, 2025, we issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 ordinary shares, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the “founder shares,” for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, to the sponsor.
The founder shares held by the sponsor include an aggregate of up to 750,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the sponsor will continue to own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private units described below and assuming the sponsor does not purchase units in this offering).
In addition, the sponsor and BTIG have agreed to purchase from us an aggregate of 580,000 units (330,000 private units by the sponsor and 250,000 private units by BTIG) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,800,000 in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. They have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they will purchase from us an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 60,000 private units at $10.00 per private unit, which additional private units will be purchased by BTIG) in order to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The proceeds from the private placement of the private units will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee. If we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private units will be included in the liquidating distribution to our public shareholders and the private units will be worthless.
Additional Financing
We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units. 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, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Such additional financing may be in the form of a private investment in a public entity (“PIPE”), which may be in the form of an equity, debt or convertible debt transactions. These financing transactions would be designed to ensure a return on investment to the investor in exchange for assisting the company in completing the business combination or providing sufficient liquidity to the post-combination company. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time. Any such issuances of equity securities could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders. These financing transactions may be significantly dilutive to the post-combination company, and represent the type of financing risk that is not associated with traditional initial public offerings. We cannot assure you that financing will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. None of our initial shareholders, directors or officers or their affiliates are obligated to provide any such financing to us. Any financing transaction with the entities in which related parties hold ownership interests present potential for conflicts of interest, as the interests of these entities and their equity holders may not align with the interests of our company and our unaffiliated shareholders with respect to the negotiation of, and certain other matters related to, financing transactions with such entities. 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.
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 directors, officers or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or 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 this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, 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 for each fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues are less than $100 million during the previous completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter.
Our executive offices are located at 2093 Philadelphia Pike #1968, Claymont, DE 19703 and our telephone number is (619) 719-1810. Upon completion of this offering, our corporate website address will be [•].
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
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“amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company which will be adopted upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part; |
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“BTIG” are to BTIG, LLC, the representative of the underwriters in the offering; |
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“board of directors” are to the board of directors of the company (including our director nominees who will become directors in connection with the consummation of this offering); |
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“Companies Act” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, as may be amended from time to time; |
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“completion window” are to (i) the period ending on the date that is 24 months from the closing of this offering, or such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, in which we must complete an initial business combination or (ii) such other time period in which we must complete an initial business combination pursuant to an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (in which case our public shareholders will be offered an opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such amendment); |
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“directors” are to our current directors and our director nominees named in this prospectus; |
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“equity-linked securities” are to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our 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 securities; |
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“founder shares” are to our ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering; |
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“initial shareholders” are to our sponsor and Eric R. Ball, Long Long, Ming Chan, Ben Landen, and our director nominees, each of whom owns limited membership interests in our sponsor directly or indirectly; |
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“letter agreement” are to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part; |
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“management” or our “management team” are to our directors and officers; |
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“memorandum and articles of association” are to our current Memorandum and Articles of Association; |
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“ordinary shares” are to our ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share; |
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“permitted withdrawals” means amounts withdrawn to fund our working capital requirements, subject to an annual limit of $500,000, and/or to pay our taxes and notwithstanding the annual limitation, such withdrawals can only be made from interest and not from the principal held in the trust account; |
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“private units” are to the units issued to our sponsor and BTIG in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, as well as any units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, each unit consisting of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant; “private shares” refer to the ordinary shares included in the private units; and “private warrants” refer to the warrants included in the private units; |
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“public shares” are to our ordinary shares sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
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“public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders, directors and officers to the extent our initial shareholders, directors or officers purchase public shares, provided their status as a “public shareholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares; |
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“public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
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“special resolution” are to a resolution of the company passed by a majority of at least two-thirds (2/3) (or such higher approval threshold as specified in the company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote on such matter (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time);; |
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“sponsor” are to our sponsor, Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; Mr. Long is the managing member of the sponsor; |
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“unit” are to a unit being offered under this offering at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and consisting of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus; |
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“warrants” are to our warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market), which include the public warrants as well as the private warrants; and |
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“we,” “us,” “our” or our “company” are to Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. |
Unless we state otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our initial shareholders of 750,000 founder shares.
Any forfeiture of shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a surrender of shares for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividends described in this prospectus will take effect as share capitalizations as a matter of Cayman Islands law (that is, an issuance of shares paid up to the par value out of profits or share premium).
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus.
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Securities offered |
20,000,000 units (or 23,000,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:
● one ordinary share; and
● one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. |
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Proposed Nasdaq symbols |
Units: “ARCIU” Ordinary shares: “ARCI” Warrants: “ARCIW” |
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Trading commencement and separation of ordinary shares and warrants |
The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The ordinary shares and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination. |
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Separate trading of the ordinary shares and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K. In no event will the ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet of the company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
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Units: |
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Number issued and outstanding before this offering |
0 |
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Number to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
580,000(1) |
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| Number issued and outstanding after this offering and private placement | 20,580,000(1) | |
| Ordinary shares: | ||
| Number issued and outstanding before this offering | 5,750,000(2) |
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Number included in the private units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
580,000(1) |
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Number issued and outstanding after this offering and private placement |
25,580,000(1)(3) |
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Warrants: |
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Number included in the private units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
145,000(1) |
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Number issued and outstanding after this offering and private placement |
5,145,000(1) |
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Exercisability |
Each unit contains one-fourth (1/4) of one warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one ordinary share, subject to adjustment as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units may include one ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one 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 warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. |
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(1) |
Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our initial shareholders of 750,000 founder shares. |
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(2) |
Consists of 5,750,000 founder shares, which includes up to 750,000 founder shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
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(3) |
Includes 20,000,000 public shares, 580,000 private shares and 5,000,000 founder shares. |
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Exercise price |
$11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) 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 on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our 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”) is below $9.20 per share, 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 $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Redemption of warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
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Exercise period |
The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:
● 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; and
● 12 months from the closing of this offering; |
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provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). |
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We are not registering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants at this time. We will agree that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination or at any time thereafter, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. |
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Notwithstanding the above, if our ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the warrant expiration date, which is five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or our liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant (other than on a cashless basis), the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
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Redemption of warrants |
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the issued and outstanding warrants:
● in whole and not in part;
● at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
● upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and
● if, and only if, the last sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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. |
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We will not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. |
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If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are issued and outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the ordinary shares for the five trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. See the section entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” for additional information. |
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Founder shares |
On August 1, 2025, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, in exchange for an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of these founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. Our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private units described below and assuming the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering). |
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If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share surrender, repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to the founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private units described below). Up to 750,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
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The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
● the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions contained in a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us, as described in more detail below; |
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● pursuant to such letter agreement, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (2) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association by special resolution (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window). If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, we would need 7,210,001, or 36.1% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), or 815,001, or 4.1% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum (i.e., a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon) are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have such initial business combination approved; and
● the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. |
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Transfer restrictions on founder shares and private units |
Pursuant to a letter agreement with us, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, the date 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 ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units”). In addition, we could agree to permit the holders of our founder shares to transfer shares or agree to cancel such securities. Although no such transfers or cancellations are contemplated, we could agree to permit such transfer or cancellation to facilitate the closing of a business combination. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after our initial business combination or (2) if we complete a transaction after our initial business combination which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. In addition, the limited liability company agreement of our sponsor provides that its membership interests may only be transferred to our officers or directors or other persons affiliated with our sponsor, or in connection with estate planning transfers.
The purchasers of the private units have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units, including the underlying private shares and private warrants (except in connection with the same limited exceptions that the founder shares may be transferred as described above), until after the completion of our initial business combination.
Assuming no liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction takes place, lock-ups on securities owned by our initial shareholders would expire as follows: |
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Founder Shares |
Private Units |
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six months after completion of our initial business combination, subject to early release at specified share prices |
upon completion of our initial business combination |
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We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the representative, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, ordinary shares, warrants or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares, subject to certain exceptions. The representative in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. |
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Private units |
Our sponsor and BTIG have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 private units (or 640,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement transaction. Each private unit will consist of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
The private warrants will be identical to the warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules. |
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Proceeds to be held in trust |
Nasdaq listing rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private units be deposited in a trust account. Of the $205,800,000 in gross proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus, or $236,400,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $200,000,000 ($10.00 per share), or $230,000,000 ($10.00 per share) if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (including $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee, and $1,800,000 will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The funds 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time, instruct the trustee to liquidate the securities held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. |
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Except with respect to permitted withdrawals, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination; (2) 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 by special resolution (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders. |
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Anticipated expenses and funding sources |
Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except permitted withdrawals or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as described above. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $8,000,000 of interest annually (assuming an interest rate of 4.0% per year); however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from: |
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● permitted withdrawals (which can only be made from interest and not from the principal held in the trust account); |
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● the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,000,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $800,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
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● any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their respective affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to loan funds to, or otherwise invest in, us; and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we complete our initial business combination, we expect to repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. |
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Conditions to completing our initial business combination |
We will have up to 24 months from the closing of this offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate an initial business combination. We may hold a shareholder vote at any time to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the amount of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination (as well as to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the time periods described herein or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity). As described herein, our sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed that they will not propose any such amendment unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination. |
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If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject, in each case, to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. |
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If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, while we do not currently intend to seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the amount of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination, we may elect to do so in the future. Subject to our compliance with applicable laws and stock exchange listing rules, there is no limit on the number of extensions that we may seek; however, we do not expect to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination beyond 36 months from the closing of this offering. If we determine not to or are unable to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination or fail to obtain shareholder approval to extend the completion window, our sponsor’s investment in our founder shares, private shares and private warrants will be worthless. |
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Nasdaq listing rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case. |
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If our board of directors is not able to independently to determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the issued and 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. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test; provided that in the event that our initial 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. |
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Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities |
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. The price per share paid in any such transaction may not be higher than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares or not redeem their public shares. However, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates are under no obligation or duty to do so and 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will select which shareholders with whom to enter into private transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions prior to the completion of our initial business combination. If our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. |
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In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their public shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Further, any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making any purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
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Any of the public shares purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and any of their respective affiliates from public shareholders outside the redemption process described in this prospectus would not be voted in favor of approving our initial business combination. The purpose of any such purchases could be to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our ordinary shares or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase shares from public shareholders, such purchases would by structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities.” |
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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 public 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 (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination. |
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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. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. |
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Manner of conducting |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (1) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (2) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be 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 the Companies Act or stock exchange listing requirement. 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. If a shareholder vote is not required and we choose not to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. |
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If shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will:
● 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. |
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We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least twenty days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a preliminary proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our Nasdaq listing or Exchange Act registration. |
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If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only with the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a simple majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each holder is entitled). A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. As a result, we would need 7,210,001, or 36.1% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised, and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), or 815,001, or 4.1% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have such initial business combination approved. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination. |
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We will consummate our initial business combination only with the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a simple majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each holder is entitled). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target). |
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If, however, a shareholder vote is not required and we decide not 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. |
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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 ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
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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. Furthermore, redemptions of our public shares may be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than the amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target). |
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Tendering share certificates in connection with redemption rights or a tender offer |
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The proxy or tender offer materials, 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, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. |
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Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote |
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 will 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 this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above 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 or our initial shareholders or their affiliates 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 this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our initial shareholders or their affiliates 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 this 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 all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. |
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Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association |
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions, including those related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances), may be amended only with the approval of a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting (and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each holder is entitled). Corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 50% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Prior to an initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities that can vote pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our initial shareholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (not including the private units described above and assuming they does not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination. | |
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Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination |
On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be disbursed directly by the trustee or released to us to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. 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 the redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, 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. |
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Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination |
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, that we will initially have the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. |
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Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into written agreements with us pursuant to which they have waived their right to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and private shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our initial shareholders 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 completion window. |
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The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
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Limited payments to insiders |
There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our initial shareholders, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
● repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
● payment to our sponsor or an affiliate thereof of $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services;
● reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and
● repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. |
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These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith. |
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Our audit committee will review and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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. |
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Audit committee |
Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, we will have established and will maintain an audit committee to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” |
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Conflicts of interest |
Our officers and directors may owe competing duties to other enterprises, and opportunities presented to them may not be presented to us as a result of such conflicts. Also, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. |
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Our initial shareholders, directors and officers are not prohibited from sponsoring, investing in or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies (including special purpose acquisition companies similar to our company (in addition to Archimedes II)), including in connection with their initial business combinations, prior to us completing our initial business combination. Potential investors should also be aware of certain potential conflicts of interest as further described in “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” |
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If any of our directors or officers become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for another entity to whom they owe fiduciary or contractual duties (including, without limitation, Archimedes II), he or she may need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. As a result, Archimedes II may be given priority over us with respect to business combination opportunities, and our officers and/or directors may have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved and could have additional conflicts in the future. 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. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Sponsor and Management Team and Their Respective Affiliates — Certain of our initial shareholders, directors and officers are now, and all of them may become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.” |
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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our initial shareholders, directors or officers; accordingly, such affiliated person(s) 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 and in negotiating or accepting the terms of the transaction as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public shareholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our initial shareholders, directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm that such business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. |
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In addition, our initial shareholders or any of their affiliates may make additional investments in the company in connection with the initial business combination, although our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation or current intention to do so. If our initial shareholders or any of their affiliates elects to make additional investments, such proposed investments could influence our initial shareholder’s motivation to complete an initial business combination.
Because the founder shares and private units held by management will be worthless if we do not complete a business combination transaction during the completion window, members of our board of directors may be economically incentivized to consummate an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker-performing or less-established target business.
In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur out-of-pocket expenses on our behalf in connection with an initial business combination, such persons 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 as such loans may not be repaid and/or such expenses may not be reimbursed unless we consummate such business combination. |
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Indemnity |
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. |
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:
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We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with no operating history, no revenues and no identified operating business as a target, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. |
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Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed 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. |
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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote. |
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Your opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of such business combination. |
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The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure. |
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The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares. |
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The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the completion window 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. |
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Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by a global health crisis or other matters of global concern. |
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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 or state courts may be limited. |
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As the number of SPACs evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination. |
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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. |
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We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as M&A advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financed transaction. Our underwriters are entitled to receive deferred underwriting commissions that will be released from the trust account only upon a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination. |
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We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. |
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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may elect to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities. |
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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. |
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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. |
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We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm regarding fairness. Consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view. |
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Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. |
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Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or geography or any specific target business 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. |
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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 tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed. |
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You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares and/or warrants, potentially at a loss. |
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Nasdaq 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. |
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You will not be entitled to certain protections afforded to investors of some other blank check companies. |
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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 have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. |
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If the funds not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate until the end of the completion window, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination. |
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Past performance by our management team 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. |
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We may seek acquisition opportunities in acquisition targets that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise. |
The difference between the public offering price per unit and the net tangible book value (NTBV) per ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. NTBV per share is determined by dividing our NTBV, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding ordinary shares. See the section “Dilution.”
The below calculations (A) assume that (i) no ordinary shares are issued to shareholders of a potential business combination target as consideration or issuable by a post-business combination company, for instance under an equity or employee share purchase plan, (ii) no ordinary shares and convertible equity or debt securities are issued in connection with additional financing that we may seek in connection with an initial business combination, (iii) no working capital loans are converted into private placement units, as further described in this prospectus and (iv) no value is attributed to the warrants, and (B) assume the issuance of 20,000,000 ordinary shares (or 23,000,000 ordinary shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), 5,000,000 founder shares (up to 750,000 of which are assumed to be forfeited in the scenario in which the over-allotment option is not exercised in full) and 580,000 private shares (or 640,000 private units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Such calculations do not reflect any dilution associated with the exercise of warrants as the warrants are accounted for as equity and are only exercisable following the consummation of our initial business combination. The assumed exercise of the warrants would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Further, as we intend to target an initial business combination with a target business whose enterprise value is greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, we may need to issue ordinary shares and convertible equity or debt securities in connection with additional financing. Any such issuances of equity securities could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders.
The following table illustrates the difference between the public offering price per unit and our NTBV per share, as adjusted to give effect to this offering and assuming redemption of our public shares at varying levels and the full exercise and no exercise of the over-allotment option:
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As of August 15, 2025 |
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Offering Price of $10.00 per Unit |
25% of Maximum Redemption |
50% of Maximum Redemption |
75% of Maximum Redemption |
Maximum Redemption |
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NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
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Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$7.59 |
$7.00 |
$3.00 |
$6.03 |
$3.97 |
$4.16 |
$5.84 |
$(1.10) |
$11.10 |
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Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$7.57 |
$6.98 |
$3.02 |
$6.02 |
$3.98 |
$4.13 |
$5.87 |
$(1.12) |
$11.12 |
The pro forma NTBV per share after this offering for each of the redemption scenarios is calculated as follows:
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No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
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With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
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Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Increase attributable to public shareholders |
7.57 | 7.59 | 6.98 | 7.00 | 6.02 | 6.03 | 4.13 | 4.16 | (1.12 | ) | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pro forms net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement shares |
7.57 | 7.59 | 6.98 | 7.00 | 6.02 | 6.03 | 4.13 | 4.16 | (1.12 | ) | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dilution to public shareholders |
$ | 2.43 | $ | 2.41 | $ | 3.02 | $ | 3.00 | $ | 3.98 | $ | 3.97 | $ | 5.87 | $ | 5.84 | $ | 11.12 | $ | 11.10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
24.30 | % | 24.10 | % | 30.20 | % | 30.00 | % | 39.80 | % | 39.70 | % | 58.70 | % | 58.40 | % | 111.20 | % | 110.00 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
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|
Numerator: |
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|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
$ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | ||||||||||
|
Net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement shares (1) |
201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Plus: Offering costs accrued for or paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value |
31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions |
(7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: overallotment liability |
(263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Amounts paid for redemptions (2) |
— | — | (50,000,000 | ) | (57,500,000 | ) | (100,000,000 | ) | (115,000,000 | ) | (150,000,000 | ) | (172,500,000 | ) | (200,000,000 | ) | (230,000,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 193,744,886 | 222,958,486 | 143,744,886 | 165,458,486 | 93,744,886 | 107,958,486 | 43,744,886 | 50,458,486 | (6,255,114 | ) | (7,041,514 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Denominator: |
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|
Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering |
5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
(750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares offered and sale of private placement shares |
20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Ordinary shares redeemed |
— | — | (5,000,000 | ) | (5,750,000 | ) | (10,000,000 | ) | (11,500,000 | ) | (15,000,000 | ) | (17,250,000 | ) | (20,000,000 | ) | (23,000,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25,580,000 | 29,390,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 15,580,000 | 17,890,000 | 10,580,000 | 12,140,000 | 5,580,000 | 6,390,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of approximately $700,000 (excluding deferred underwriting commissions). See “Use of Proceeds.”
(2) Upon the consummation of our initial business combination, the deferred underwriting commissions would be paid as follows: $0.20 per unit sold in the base offering, or $4,000,000 (or up to $4,600,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.
(3) If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, and accordingly only balance sheet data is presented.
|
August 15, 2025 |
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|
Actual |
As Adjusted |
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|
Working (deficiency) capital(1) |
$ | (22,709 | ) | $ | 744,886 | |||
|
Total assets(2) |
$ | 56,195 | $ | 201,008,486 | ||||
|
Total liabilities(3) |
$ | 47,709 | $ | 7,263,600 | ||||
|
Value of ordinary shares subject to possible redemption(4) |
$ | — | $ | 200,000,000 | ||||
|
Shareholders’ equity (deficit)(5) |
$ | 8,486 | $ | (6,255,114 | ) | |||
|
(1) |
The “as adjusted” calculation includes $1,000,000 of cash held outside the trust account, including $125,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums, less over-allotment liability of $263,600, less $8,486 of actual shareholders’ equity on August 15, 2025. |
|
(2) |
The “as adjusted” calculation equals $200,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, plus $1,000,000 in cash held outside the trust account, including $125,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums, less $8,486 of actual shareholders’ equity on August 15, 2025. |
|
(3) |
The “as adjusted” calculation equals $7,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised and $263,600 for the over-allotment liability. |
|
(4) |
The “as adjusted” calculation equals 20,000,000 ordinary shares at $10.00 per share. |
|
(5) |
Excludes 20,000,000 ordinary shares purchased in the public market which are subject to conversion in connection with our initial business combination. The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of ordinary shares that may be converted in connection with our initial business combination ($10.00 per share). |
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 prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. 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 RELATING TO OUR SEARCH FOR, AND CONSUMMATION OF OR INABILITY TO CONSUMMATE, A BUSINESS COMBINATION
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with no operating history, no revenues and no identified operating business as a target, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. 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 with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed 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.
We may not hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable corporate law or stock exchange rules or if we decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, Nasdaq listing rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a general meeting but would still require us to obtain shareholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding shares or that involves a merger with a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding shares or that involves a merger, we would seek shareholder approval of such business combination. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. See “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Shareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination” for additional information.
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.”
As of August 15, 2025, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficiency of $(22,709). Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, we would need 7,210,001, or 36.1% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), or 815,001, or 4.1% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have such initial business combination approved. Our directors and officers have also entered into the letter agreement, imposing similar obligations on them with respect to public shares acquired by them, if any. We expect that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary shareholder approval will be received than would be the case if such persons agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public shareholders.
We may not be able to complete a business combination with a target company if such business combination is subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations and review by a U.S. government entity such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), or ultimately prohibited.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (“CFIUS”) is an interagency committee authorized to review certain transactions involving acquisitions and investments in the U.S. by foreign persons in order to determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the U.S. CFIUS has jurisdiction to review transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business directly or indirectly by a foreign person, certain non-controlling investments that afford the foreign investor non-passive rights in a “TID U.S. business” (defined as a U.S. business that (1) produces, designs, tests, manufactures, fabricates, or develops one or more critical technologies; (2) owns or operates certain critical infrastructure; or (3) collects or maintains directly or indirectly sensitive personal data of U.S. citizens), and certain acquisitions, leases, and concessions involving real estate even with no underlying U.S. business. Certain categories of acquisitions of and investments in a U.S. business also may be subject to a mandatory notification requirement.
Our sponsor is not, nor is it controlled by, or has substantial ties to, a non-U.S. person. Although we intend to enter into a business combination in which our investors, both our sponsor and its affiliates as well as our public investors, would own a minority of the post-combination company, we cannot guarantee that this will be the case. In addition, we cannot predict whether there will be significant ownership by non-U.S. persons among our shareholders, among other factors that could affect the likelihood of a CFIUS or similar review.
Although we intend to focus on companies engaged in the technology industry we may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company of any size (subject to our satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test) and in any industry, sector or geography. If our business combination with a U.S. business is subject to CFIUS review, we may determine that we are required to make a mandatory filing or that we will submit a voluntary notice to CFIUS, or to proceed with the business combination without notifying CFIUS and risk CFIUS intervention, before or after the closing of our initial business combination. CFIUS may decide to block or delay our business combination, impose conditions to mitigate national security concerns with respect to such business combination or order us to divest all or a portion of a U.S. business of the combined company without first obtaining CFIUS clearance. As a result, we may exclude companies in certain industries from consideration as potential business combination partners, and companies in those industries may not view us as an attractive business combination partner, reducing the pool of potential targets companies, and reducing the likelihood that we complete a business combination. We may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other blank check companies or investment partners that do not have similar foreign ownership issues.
Moreover, the process of government review, whether by the CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy, and we have 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination in accordance with the procedures set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If the review process extends beyond such timeframe or our business combination is ultimately prohibited by CFIUS or another U.S. government entity, we may be required to liquidate our company. In such circumstances, our warrants will expire worthless.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of such business combination.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any target businesses. Additionally, 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 approval. Accordingly, if we do not seek shareholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential 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.
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.
We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. 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. 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 and the payment of the deferred underwriting commissions. Furthermore, redemptions of our public shares may be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than the amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target). Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights and, therefore, we will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. 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, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third-party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need 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. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
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 increases. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the funds in 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. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with your exercise of your redemption rights until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the completion window 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 the completion window. 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 end of 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.
Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by new outbreaks, or continuation of any existing outbreaks, of any infectious disease (such as COVID-19) and the status of debt and equity markets.
Any new outbreaks, or continuation of any existing outbreaks, of any infectious disease (such as COVID-19) or other events (such as terrorist attacks, armed conflicts or natural disasters) could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate an initial business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete an initial business combination if concerns relating to any outbreak of a disease restricts travel or limits the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers. The extent to which any new outbreak or the continuation of any existing situation impacts our search for an initial business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. If any such event (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) continues for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate an initial 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 outside events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of 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.
Our search for an initial business combination, and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by current global geopolitical conditions resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, or have undertaken or will undertake military strikes in Southwest Asia, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the abovementioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect our search for an initial business combination and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination.
The extent and duration of the ongoing conflicts, resulting sanctions and any related market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial, particularly if current or new sanctions continue for an extended period of time or if geopolitical tensions result in expanded military operations on a global scale. Any such disruptions may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this section. If these disruptions or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Southwest Asia or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, Southwest Asia or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, and to other company or industry-specific, national, regional or international economic disruptions and economic uncertainty, any of which could make it more difficult for us to identify a business combination target and consummate an initial business combination on acceptable commercial terms, or at all.
As the number of SPACs evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be strong competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of SPACs that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for SPACs have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many SPACs seeking targets for their initial business combination, as well as many such companies currently in registration with the SEC. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available, and it may require more time, more effort and more resources to identify a suitable target and to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are many SPACs 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 targets 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 and consummate an initial business combination and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
If our initial business combination involves a company organized under the laws of the United States (or any subdivision thereof), it is possible a U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with any redemptions of our ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial business combination.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which, among other things, imposes a 1% U.S. federal excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded U.S. corporations after December 31, 2022 (the “Excise Tax”), subject to certain exceptions. If applicable, the amount of the Excise Tax is generally 1% of the aggregate fair market value of any stock repurchased by the corporation during a taxable year, net of the aggregate fair market value of certain new stock issuances by the repurchasing corporation during the same taxable year. The Biden administration has proposed increasing the Excise Tax rate from 1% to 4%; however, it is unclear whether such a change will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon it could take effect.
As a Cayman Islands exempted company, the Excise Tax is currently not expected to apply to redemptions of our ordinary shares (absent any regulations or other additional guidance that may be issued in the future).
However, in connection with an initial business combination involving a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible that we domesticate and continue as a corporation organized under the laws of a state of the United States prior to certain redemptions. Because we expect that, following such a domestication, our securities would continue to trade on a national securities exchange, in such a case, we could be subject to the Excise Tax with respect to any subsequent redemptions (including redemptions in connection with an extension vote or the initial business combination). Whether and to what extent we would be subject to the Excise Tax in connection with a business combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the business combination, extension vote or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a business combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a business combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a business combination but issued within the same taxable year of a business combination) and (iv) the content of final regulations and other additional guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Any Excise Tax that becomes payable as a result of any redemptions of our ordinary shares (or other shares into which such ordinary shares may be converted) would be payable by us and not by the redeeming holder. To the extent the Exercise Tax is applicable, the amount of cash available to pay redemptions or to transfer to the target business in connection with our initial business combination may be reduced, which could result in our inability to meet conditions in the agreement relating to our initial business combination related to a minimum cash requirement, if any, or otherwise result in the shareholders of the combined company (including any of our shareholders who do not exercise their redemption rights in connection with the initial business combination) to economically bear the impact of the Excise Tax. Consequently, the Excise Tax may make a transaction with us less appealing to potential business combination targets. Finally, subject to certain exceptions, the Excise Tax should not apply in the event of our complete liquidation.
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 years, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for SPACs 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 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, accept less favorable terms or both. However, 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, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the 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 engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as M&A advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Our underwriters are entitled to receive deferred underwriting commissions that will be released from the trust account only upon a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing M&A advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing transactions. We may pay such underwriter or its affiliate fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred underwriting commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing, valuation and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within the completion window. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. An increasing number of SPACs have liquidated in 2023 due to an inability to complete an initial business combination within the allotted completion window. Furthermore, 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, including the impact of events such as the war between Russia and the Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than $10.00 per share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— Risks Relating to our Securities and Trust Account — If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may elect to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. The price per share paid in any such transaction may not be higher than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, or not redeem their public shares. However, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates are under no obligation or duty to do so and 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will select which shareholders with whom to enter into private transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. If our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their public shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Further, any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making any purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Any of the public shares purchased by our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and any of their respective affiliates from public shareholders outside the redemption process described in this prospectus would not be voted in favor of approving our initial business combination. The purpose of any such purchases could be to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase shares from public shareholders, such purchases would by structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities.”
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 stock exchange listing requirements, 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 have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
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 directors and officers 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.
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 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.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm regarding fairness. Consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we will not obtain an opinion that the price we are paying 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 solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that 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 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. 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 have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or geography or any specific 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 intend to focus on companies engaged in the technology industry we may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company of any size (subject to our satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test) and in any industry, sector or geography. However, we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached 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 development stage entity. Although our directors and officers 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. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to our investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholder or warrant holder who chooses to remain a shareholder or warrant holder, respectively, following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders and warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR SECURITIES AND TRUST ACCOUNT
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 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 or tender offer materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, 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 describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem or tender public shares. For example, we may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419 — Tendering share certificates in connection with redemption rights or a tender offer.”
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares and/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: (1) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (2) 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 do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares and/or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Nasdaq 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.
We intend to have our units listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our ordinary shares and warrants listed on or promptly after their date of separation. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing rules, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq 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 of market value of listed securities (generally $50 million) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, for The Nasdaq Global Market, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, the market value of listed securities would generally be required to be at least $75 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 400 round lot holders of our securities (with at least 50% of such round lot holders holding securities with a market value of at least $2,500). We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. In addition, Nasdaq has broad subjective authority to deny listing or apply additional or more stringent criteria based on any event, condition, or circumstance that makes the listing of the company inadvisable or unwarranted in the opinion of Nasdaq. Such determination can be made even if we meet the standards forth initial or continued listing.
If Nasdaq delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
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a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
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reduced liquidity for our securities; |
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a determination that our ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our 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; |
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a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
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a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 (“NSMIA”), prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, ordinary shares and warrants will qualify as covered securities under such statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered securities, NSMIA 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 Nasdaq, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under NSMIA and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
You will not be entitled to certain protections afforded to investors of some other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units 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 U.S. securities laws. However, because our securities will be listed on a national exchange post-closing, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit 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. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
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 ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our 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 will 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 this 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.
Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, including from Archimedes II, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense 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 (including, without limitation, Archimedes II) 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 greater technical, human and other resources 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. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, 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, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we are obligated to pay cash for our ordinary shares, these payments will 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 have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
If the funds not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate until the end of the completion window, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate until the end of the completion window, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering and potential loans from certain of our affiliates are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” However, our affiliates are not obligated to make loans to us in the future, and we may not be able to raise additional financing from unaffiliated parties necessary to fund our expenses. Any such event in the future may negatively impact the analysis regarding our ability to continue as a going concern at such time.
We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account, will be sufficient to allow us to operate until the end of the completion window; 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 commitment fees for financing and 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 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 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. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we may depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, only approximately $1,000,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we use all of the funds held outside of the trust account and all interest available to us, we may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close an initial business combination. In such event, we would 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 respective affiliates is under any obligation to loan funds to, or otherwise 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. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
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 the value of 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 post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any shareholder or warrant holder who chooses to remain a shareholder or warrant holder, respectively, following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders and warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be 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 (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, 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 advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver only if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 ten 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.
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not have sufficient funds available to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations, and therefore, no funds are currently set aside to cover any such 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 directors or officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
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 proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, 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 may choose not to do so in any particular instance. 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.
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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). 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 are unable 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 (net, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest 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 proceeds 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 proceeds 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 and/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 by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, before distributing the proceeds 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 proceeds 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 proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency laws 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 public shareholders in connection with our liquidation would be reduced.
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.
As described in the risk factor below entitled “Changes to laws or regulations or in how such laws or regulations are interpreted or applied, or a failure to comply with any laws, regulations, interpretations or applications may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination”, the SEC’s adopting release provided guidance describing circumstances in which a SPAC could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act, including its duration, asset composition, business purpose, and the activities of the SPAC and its management team in furtherance of such goals. Whether a SPAC is an investment company will be a question of facts and circumstances. We can give no assurance that a claim will not be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including 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:
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registration as an investment company with the SEC; |
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adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
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reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations that we are currently not subject to. |
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). Because the investment of the proceeds will be restricted to these instruments, we believe we will meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act. Notwithstanding an investment of proceeds in government securities, we could nevertheless be considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company, and the longer we hold such securities, the more likely it is that we would be considered an unregistered investment company. If our facts and circumstances change over time, we will update our disclosure to reflect how those changes impact the risk that we may be considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company. 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 have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time, instruct the trustee to liquidate the securities held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. As a result, following the liquidation of securities in the trust account, we would likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the trust account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.
The funds 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). To mitigate the risk of us being deemed to be an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act) and thus subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash or cash like items or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation of the company. Following such liquidation, we would likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the trust account. However, interest previously earned on the funds held in the trust account still may be released to us as permitted withdrawals. As a result, any decision to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash or cash like items or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.
In addition, we may still be deemed to be an investment company. The longer that the funds in the trust account are held in short-term U.S. government treasury obligations or in money market funds invested exclusively in such securities, the greater the risk that we may be deemed an unregistered investment company, in which case we may be required to liquidate the Company. As disclosed above, we may determine, in our discretion, to liquidate the securities held in the trust account at any time, and instead hold all funds in the trust account in cash or cash like items or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank, which would further reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company. Were we to liquidate the Company, our warrants would expire worthless, and our securityholders would lose the investment opportunity associated with an investment in the target company with which we could have consummated an initial business combination. In addition, upon moving the funds from the trust account to a deposit account, we will maintain the cash items in bank accounts which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits as guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). While we intend to place our deposits in high-quality banks, only a small portion of the funds in our trust account will be guaranteed by the FDIC.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or our prospects.
The funds in our operating account and our trust account will be held in banks or other financial institutions and 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). Our cash held in non-interest bearing and interest-bearing accounts may exceed any applicable FDIC insurance limits. Should events, including limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments occur with respect to the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds, or that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, the value of the assets in our trust account could be impaired, which could have a material impact on our operating results, liquidity, financial condition and prospects. For example, on March 10, 2023, the FDIC announced that Silicon Valley Bank had been closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. We cannot guarantee that the banks or other financial institutions that will hold our funds will not experience similar issues.
If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond the completion window before redemption from our trust account.
If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall 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 windup, 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 are subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the end of the completion window before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds 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 then only in cases where investors have properly sought to redeem their ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window and do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior thereto.
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.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we will continue in existence only until 24 months from the closing of this offering. If we have not completed a business combination by such date, 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 100% of the issued and outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject (in each case) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more).
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 for a fine of approximately $18,000 (or 15,000 Cayman Islands dollars) and imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
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 elect directors.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. As an exempted company, 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 our founding team.
The ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not being registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a “cashless basis” and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.
We are not registering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we will agree that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration under the Securities Act of the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and thereafter will use our best 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 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants, until the expiration of the public 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 or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis. However, no public warrant will 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 public 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 is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise public warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any public warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the public warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the public warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the public warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such public warrant will not be entitled to exercise such public warrants and such public warrants may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their public warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the ordinary shares included in the units. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of the public warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such ordinary shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the public warrants were offered by us in this offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants.
The grant of registration rights to our security holders and their permitted transferees 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 ordinary shares.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, at or after the time of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of their founder shares. In addition, the holders of the private units (and underlying securities) and any units (and underlying securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register the resale of such units and the underlying securities. 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 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 ordinary shares that is expected when the ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees, our private units (and underlying securities) or units (and underlying securities) issued in connection with working capital loans are registered for resale.
We may issue additional shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 400,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 369,275,000 (assuming that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued ordinary shares available for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preferred shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary shares, and may issue preference shares, in order to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue ordinary shares to redeem the warrants as described in “Description of Securities — Warrants — Redemption of warrants.” However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated articles of association on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
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may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; |
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may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded to our ordinary shares; |
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could cause a change of control if a substantial number of our ordinary shares is issued, which could result in the resignation or removal of our present directors and officers; |
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may 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; |
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may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
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may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
We may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then issued and outstanding public warrants.
Our public warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the public warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the public warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then issued and 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 with the approval of the holders of at least (i) a majority of the then issued and outstanding public warrants if such modification or amendment is being undertaken prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of a business combination or (ii) a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private warrants) if such modification or amendment is being undertaken after the consummation of a business combination. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then issued and outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the public warrants, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a public warrant. In addition, our warrant agreement provides that we may issue additional warrants following the consummation of this offering on the same terms and under the same warrant agreement as the public warrants. Any such issuances of additional warrants would dilute the vote of the holders of our public warrants in a vote of warrant holders, such as a vote to amend the warrant agreement.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike most blank check companies, if
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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 share; |
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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 on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions); and |
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the Market Value 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 $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
Our warrant agreement will designate 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 will provide 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, 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 Securities Act or 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. We note that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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 the forum provisions of the 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 team.
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 ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will 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 preference shares, which may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will designate the courts of the Cayman Islands as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company or our company’s directors, officers or other employees.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in us, including but not limited to (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any of our current or former director, officer or other employee to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States of America) and that each shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. The forum selection provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not apply to actions or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States of America, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum.
This choice of forum provision may increase a shareholder’s cost and limit the shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any of our shares or other securities, whether by transfer, sale, operation of law or otherwise, shall be deemed to have notice of and have irrevocably agreed and consented to these provisions. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ memorandum and articles of association or other charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find this type of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find this provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could have adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
Recent increases in inflation in the United States and elsewhere could make it more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
Recent increases in inflation in the United States and elsewhere may lead to increased price volatility for publicly traded securities, including ours, or other national, regional or international economic disruptions, any of which could make it more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR SPONSOR AND MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES
Past performance by our management team 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 performance by our management team and their respective affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, is not a guarantee either (1) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (2) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team or their affiliates or any related investment’s performance as indicative of our future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in acquisition targets 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 such business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition 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 prospectus 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 adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors relevant to such acquisition. Accordingly, any shareholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a shareholder or warrant holder following our initial 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.
Our directors and officers 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 directors and officers 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 responsibilities. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our business combination. Each of our directors and officers is engaged in several other business endeavors (including, but not limited to, Archimedes II) for which he or she may be entitled to substantial compensation and our directors and officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors will also serve as officers and/or board members for other entities. In particular, some of our directors and officers also serve as officers and directors of Archimedes II. If our directors’ and officers’ 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. See “Management — Directors and Officers” for a discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs.
We are dependent upon our directors and officers and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our directors and officers, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. 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.
Our ability to 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 our or a target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to 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 acquisition candidate 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. 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. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination, as we do not expect that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
We may have limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect 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’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’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 shareholder or warrant holder who chooses to remain a shareholder or warrant holder, respectively, following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders and warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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 acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
Certain of our initial shareholders, directors and officers are now, and all of them may become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers are, or may become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers are not prohibited from sponsoring, investing in or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies (including special purpose acquisition companies similar to our company (in addition to Archimedes II)), including in connection with their initial business combinations, prior to us completing our initial business combination. In particular, certain of our officers and certain of our directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to certain companies in which they have invested, including companies in industries we may target for our initial business combination. Potential investors should also be aware of certain potential conflicts of interest as further described in “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
As described therein, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our directors and officers have now and may have in the future similar legal obligations to other companies that may require them to present business opportunities to those companies. Accordingly, if any of our directors or officers become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for another entity to whom he or she owes fiduciary or contractual duties, he or she may need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. 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. 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. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
For additional discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, see “Management — Directors and Officers,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our directors, officers, 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 initial shareholders, directors or officers, although we currently do not intend to do so. 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.
In particular, affiliates of our initial shareholders have invested in a diverse set of industries. As a result, there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for such other affiliates.
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, directors or officers which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our initial shareholders, directors and officers with other entities (including, without limitation, Archimedes II), we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, directors and officers. Certain of our directors and officers also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” In addition, our sponsor and/or one or more of our directors and executive officers and their respective affiliates may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies (including, but not limited to, Archimedes II) similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. However, some members of our management team have previously engaged in discussions with potential business combination targets in their capacity as officers of Archimedes II. We may pursue business combination targets that have previously been in discussions with Archimedes II’s management team. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria and guidelines for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement that we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting 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 directors or officers, 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.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline.
We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.004 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, when the founder shares are converted into public shares.
The following table shows the public shareholders’ and our sponsor’s investment per share and how these compare to the implied value of one ordinary share upon the completion of our initial business combination. The following table assumes that (i) our valuation is $193,000,000 (which is the amount we would have in the trust account for our initial business combination assuming the underwriters’ over- allotment option is not exercised and following payment of the deferred underwriting commissions), (ii) no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, (iii) no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination and (iv) all founder shares are held by our initial shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination, and does not take into account other potential impact on our valuation at the time of the initial business combination, such as (a) the value of our public and private warrants, (b) the trading price of our ordinary shares, (c) the initial business combination transaction costs (other than the payment of $7,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions), (d) any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers, (e) any equity issued to other third party investors, or (f) the target’s business itself.
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Public shares |
20,000,000 | |||
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Founder shares |
5,000,000 | |||
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Private shares |
580,000 | |||
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Total shares |
25,580,000 | |||
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Total funds in trust available for initial business combination |
$ | 193,000,000 | ||
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Public shareholders’ investment per ordinary share(1) |
$ | 10.00 | ||
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Sponsor’s investment per ordinary share(2) |
$ | 0.62 | ||
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Initial implied value per public share(3) |
$ | 9.65 | ||
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Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination |
$ | 7.54 |
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(1) |
While the public shareholders’ investment is in both the public shares and the public warrants, for purposes of this table the full investment amount is ascribed to the public shares only. |
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(2) |
The total investment in the equity of the company by the sponsor is $3,325,000, consisting of (i) $25,000 paid by the sponsor for the founder shares, and (ii) $3,300,000 paid by the sponsor for 330,000 private units. For purposes of this table, the full investment amount is ascribed to the founder shares and private shares only. |
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(3) |
Initial implied value per public share is defined as the funds available for the initial business combination (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and following payment of the underwriters’ deferred underwriting commissions) divided by the public shares issued of 20,000,000 (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). |
Based on these assumptions, each ordinary share would have an implied value of $7.54 per share upon completion of our initial business combination, representing an approximately 21.9% decrease from the initial implied value of $9.70 per public share. While the implied value of $7.54 per ordinary share upon completion of our initial business combination would represent a dilution to our public shareholders, this would represent a significant increase in value for our sponsor relative to the price it paid for each founder share. At $7.54 per ordinary share, the 5,330,000 ordinary shares that the sponsor would own upon completion of our initial business combination would have an aggregate implied value of $40,188,200. As a result, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares significantly declines, the value of the founder shares held by our sponsor will be significantly greater than the amount our sponsor paid to purchase such shares. In addition, our sponsor could potentially recoup its entire investment in our company even if the trading price of our ordinary shares after the initial business combination is as low as $0.62 per share. As a result, our sponsor is likely to earn a substantial profit on its investment in us upon disposition of its ordinary shares even if the trading price of our ordinary shares declines after we complete our initial business combination. Our sponsor may therefore be economically incentivized to complete an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker-performing or less-established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public shareholders paid for their public shares.
Since our initial shareholders will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our sponsor holds an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. Our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares after this offering (not including the private units and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering). Our initial shareholders and members of our board of directors acquired founder shares for approximately $0.004 per share and we are offering units at a price of $10.00 per unit in this offering; as a result, our initial shareholders and members of our board of directors could make a substantial profit (approximately $50,000,000 with respect to the founder shares if the founder shares were to be sold at $10.00 per share, the initial public offering price of the units) after the initial business combination even if public investors experience substantial losses and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 330,000 private units (whether or not the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($3,300,000 in the aggregate, whether or not the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), that will also be worthless if we do not complete a business combination. Each private unit will consist of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering except that: (1) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions contained in a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us; (2) pursuant to such letter agreement, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to waive: (i) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (iii) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window); and (3) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to or waiver of the letter agreement, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to or waivers of the letter agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Any amendment or waiver entered into in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to such initial business combination, and any other material amendment to or waiver of any of our material agreements will be disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Any such amendments or waivers would not require approval from our shareholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
The personal and financial interests of our initial shareholders, directors and officers 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 for completing our initial business combination nears. 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 are in our shareholders’ best interests. 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 not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.
We will enter into indemnity agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. 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. 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.
GENERAL RISKS
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.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, 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:
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default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
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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; |
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our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
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our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
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our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares; |
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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 ordinary shares if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
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limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and |
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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. |
We may be able to complete only one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, 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 this offering and the sale of the private units will provide us with $200,000,000 (or $230,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination, which includes $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account, and excludes an aggregate of $1,800,000 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering.
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 risks. 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:
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solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or |
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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, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a high degree of complexity that require significant operational improvements, which could delay or prevent us from achieving our desired results.
We may seek business combination opportunities with large, highly complex companies that we believe would benefit from operational improvements. While we intend to implement such improvements, to the extent that our efforts are delayed or we are unable to achieve the desired improvements, the business combination may not be as successful as we anticipate.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a large complex business or entity with a complex operating structure, we may also be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine, which could delay or prevent us from implementing our strategy. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business and its operations, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors until we complete our business combination. If we are not able to achieve our desired operational improvements, or the improvements take longer to implement than anticipated, we may not achieve the gains that we anticipate. Furthermore, some of these risks and complexities may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks and complexities will adversely impact a target business. Such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a smaller, less complex organization.
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-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will complete such business combination only if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and 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 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new ordinary shares in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity securities of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding ordinary 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 our control of the target business.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete a business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold. 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 initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).
Changes to laws or regulations or in how such laws or regulations are interpreted or applied, or a failure to comply with any laws, regulations, interpretations or applications may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination.
We are subject to laws and regulations, and interpretations and applications of such laws and regulations, of national, regional, state and local governments and applicable non-U.S. jurisdictions. In particular, we are required to comply with certain SEC and potentially other legal and regulatory requirements, and our consummation of an initial business combination may be contingent upon our ability to comply with certain laws, regulations, interpretations and applications and any post-business combination company may be subject to additional laws, regulations, interpretations and applications. Compliance with, and monitoring of, the foregoing may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time, and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete an initial business combination. 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.
On January 24, 2024, the SEC issued final rules relating to SPACs (the “2024 SPAC Rules”), effective as of July 1, 2024, that formally adopted some of the SEC’s proposed rules for SPACs that were released on March 30, 2022. The 2024 SPAC Rules, among other items, impose additional disclosure requirements in initial public offerings by SPACs and business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; amend the financial statement requirements applicable to business combination transactions involving such companies; update and expand guidance regarding the general use of projections in SEC filings, as well as when projections are disclosed in connection with proposed business combination transactions; increase the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and could impact the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The 2024 SPAC Rules may materially adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete, and the costs associated with, our initial business combination, and results of operations.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified 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, including our warrant agreement, in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that some of our shareholders or warrant holders may not support.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, 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. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination. To the extent any such amendment would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.
Certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended only with the approval of a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the 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 will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units 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 only with the approval of a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting. Corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 50% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by the Companies Act or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. We may not issue additional securities that can vote pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our initial shareholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (not including the private units and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will 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 which will govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete our initial business combination with which you do not agree.
Our initial shareholders have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement, 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 redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our initial shareholders, directors and officers. Our public shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, this agreement and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our initial shareholders, directors or officers for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our public shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to Cayman Islands law.
Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended or waived without shareholder approval.
Each of the agreements related to this offering to which we are a party, other than the warrant agreement and the investment management trust agreement, may be amended or waived without shareholder approval. Such agreements are: the underwriting agreement; the letter agreement among us and our initial shareholders, officers and directors; the registration rights agreement among us and our initial shareholders and the holders of the private units; the private units purchase agreement between us and our initial shareholders; and the administrative services agreement among us, our sponsor and an affiliate of our sponsor. These agreements contain various provisions that our public shareholders might deem to be material. For example, our letter agreement and the underwriting agreement contain certain lock-up provisions with respect to the founder shares held by our initial shareholders, officers and directors. Amendments to or waivers of such agreements would require the consent of the applicable parties thereto and would need to be approved by our board of directors, which may do so for a variety of reasons, including to facilitate our initial business combination. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to or waiver of any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to or waivers of any such agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Any amendment or waiver entered into in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to such initial business combination, and any other material amendment to or waiver of any of our material agreements will be disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Any such amendments or waivers would not require approval from our shareholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. For example, amendments to or waivers of the lock-up provision discussed above may result in our initial shareholders selling their securities earlier than it would otherwise be permitted, which may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
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 have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units. 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, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Such additional financing may be in the form of PIPE transactions, which may be in the form of an equity, debt or convertible debt transactions. These financing transactions are designed to ensure a return on investment to the investor in exchange for assisting the company in completing the business combination or providing sufficient liquidity to the post-combination company. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time. Any such issuances of equity securities could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders. These financing transactions may be significantly dilutive to the post-combination company, and represent the type of financing risk that is not associated with traditional initial public offerings. We cannot assure you that financing will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. None of our initial shareholders, directors or officers or their affiliates are obligated to provide any such financing to us. Any financing transaction with the entities in which related parties hold ownership interests present potential for conflicts of interest, as the interests of these entities and their equity holders may not align with the interests of our company and our unaffiliated shareholders with respect to the negotiation of, and certain other matters related to, financing transactions with such entities. 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.
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 directors, officers or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our initial shareholders will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, it may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon the closing of this offering, our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (not including the private units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering).
Neither our initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our directors or officers, has any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our ordinary shares. In addition, as a result of their substantial ownership in our company, our initial shareholders may exert a substantial influence on other 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 and approval of major corporate transactions. If our sponsor purchases any additional ordinary shares in this offering or in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase its influence over these actions. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will exert significant influence over actions requiring a shareholder vote at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Our sponsor paid a nominal price for the founder shares and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution upon the purchase of our ordinary shares.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the ordinary shares and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our initial shareholders acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 111.20% (or $11.12 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $(1.12) (assuming a maximum redemption scenario) and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit.
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 issued and outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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 we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. Redemption of the issued and outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the issued and outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
Our management’s ability to require holders of our warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer ordinary shares upon their exercise of the warrants than they would have received had they been able to exercise their warrants for cash.
If we call our public warrants for redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his warrant (including any warrants held by our initial shareholders, officers or directors, other purchasers of our founders’ units, or their permitted transferees) to do so on a “cashless basis.” If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of ordinary shares received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company.
The warrants may become exercisable for a security other than the ordinary shares, and you will not have any information regarding such other security at this time.
In certain situations, including if we are not the surviving entity in our initial business combination, the warrants may become exercisable for a security other than our ordinary shares. As a result, if the surviving company redeems your warrants pursuant to the warrant agreement, you may receive, upon exercise of your warrants, a security in a company of which you do not have information at this time. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, the surviving company will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the issuance of the security underlying the warrants within 20 business days of the closing of an initial business combination.
Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 5,000,000 ordinary shares (or up to 5,750,000 ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 145,000 private warrants (or 160,000 private warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In addition, if our initial shareholders, an affiliate of our initial shareholders or certain of our directors and officers make any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into units, at the price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional ordinary shares and ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants included as part of such units could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares and reduce the value of the ordinary shares issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because each unit contains one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreements, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units may include one ordinary share and one whole warrant to purchase one 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 (1/4) of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one whole 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 they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were determined through discussions between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:
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the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
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prior offerings of those companies; |
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our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
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our capital structure; |
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an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; |
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general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and |
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other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Shareholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
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 or state courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. 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 Companies Act and 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, and whilst the decisions of the English courts are of persuasive authority, they 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 statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, while provisions do exist in Cayman Islands law for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, shareholders in the Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a Cayman Islands company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred.
We have been advised by Walkers (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would:
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recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and |
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entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. |
There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a foreign judgment, without any re-examination or re-litigation of matters adjudicated upon, provided such judgment:
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is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction; |
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imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given; |
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is final; |
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is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty; |
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was not obtained by fraud; and |
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is not 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). |
Subject to the above limitations, in appropriate circumstances, a Cayman Islands court may give effect in the Cayman Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.
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.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with target business 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 a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination at a general meeting for meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. 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, or U.S. GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or 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), or 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 financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
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 ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of any second quarter of a fiscal year, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the end of such fiscal year. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely 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 which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company for each fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues are less than $100 million during the previous completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter. 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.
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 acquisition.
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, 2026. 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 control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
If our management team pursues a 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 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.
While we intend to focus our search for a target business operating in the United States, if our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, 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 market, 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:
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costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations and complying with commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets; |
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rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; |
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complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
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laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected; |
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tariffs and trade barriers; |
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regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
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longer payment cycles; |
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changes in local regulations as part of a response to a global health crisis; |
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● |
tax consequences, such as tax law changes, including termination or reduction of tax and other incentives that the applicable government provides to domestic companies, and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
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currency fluctuations and exchange controls, including devaluations and other exchange rate movements; |
|
● |
rates of inflation, price instability and interest rate fluctuations; |
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● |
challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
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● |
cultural and language differences; |
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● |
employment regulations; |
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● |
crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars; |
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● |
deterioration of political relations with the United States; |
|
● |
obligatory military service by personnel; and |
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● |
government appropriation of assets. |
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 combination or, if we complete such combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with U.S. 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, any or all of our management could resign from their positions as officers of the company, and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with U.S. securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with U.S. 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.
Members of our management team and board of directors have significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. Certain of those persons have been, may be, or may become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including related to those companies or otherwise. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming and could divert our management’s attention, and may have an adverse effect on us, which may impede our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
During the course of their careers, members of our management team and board of directors have had significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. As a result of their involvement and positions in these companies, certain of those persons have been, may be or may in the future become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including relating to the business affairs of such companies, transactions entered into by such companies, or otherwise. Individual members of our management team and board of directors also may become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings involving claims or allegations related to or as a result of their personal conduct, either in their capacity as a corporate officer or director or otherwise, and may be personally named in such actions and potentially subject to personal liability. Any such liability may or may not be covered by insurance and/or indemnification, depending on the facts and circumstances. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming. Any litigation, investigations or other proceedings and the potential outcomes of such actions may divert the attention and resources of our management team and board of directors away from identifying and selecting a target business or businesses for our initial business combination and may negatively affect our reputation, which may impede our ability to complete an initial business combination.
After our initial business combination, our results of operations and prospects could be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political, social and government policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.
The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country 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 country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows 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.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the ordinary share and the one-fourth (1/4) of a redeemable warrant included in each unit could be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or courts. In addition, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we are issuing in this offering is unclear under current law, and the adjustment to the number of ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant could give rise to dividend income to U.S. Holders (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) without a corresponding payment of cash. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of ordinary shares is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividend income” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See the section titled “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax considerations applicable to their specific circumstances when purchasing, owning or disposing of our securities.
We may qualify as a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) of our ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. Holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Depending on 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. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder 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 likely be unavailable with respect to our warrants.
We urge U.S. Holders to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
Our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our shareholders and warrant holders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.
Although we will attempt to structure our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to any requisite shareholder approval, we may structure our business combination in a manner that requires shareholders and/or warrant holders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes, effect a business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction, or reincorporate in a different jurisdiction (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrant holders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a shareholder or a warrant holder may need to satisfy any liability resulting from our initial business combination with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of the shares or warrants received. In addition, shareholders and warrant holders may also be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination.
In addition, we may effect a business combination with a target company that has business operations in multiple jurisdictions. If we effect such a business combination, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in other jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to obtaining 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 to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders to pay such taxes. Shareholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
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.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements contained in this prospectus 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 prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
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● |
our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
|
● |
our ability to complete our initial business combination; |
|
● |
our expectations around the performance of a 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 directors and officers allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
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● |
our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
|
● |
our pool of prospective target businesses; |
|
● |
the adverse impacts of certain events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of infectious diseases) on our ability to consummate an initial business combination; |
|
● |
the ability of our directors and officers to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities; |
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● |
our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
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● |
the lack of a market for our securities; |
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● |
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; |
|
● |
our financial performance following this offering; and |
|
● |
the other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus 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 under the heading “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. 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.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and administered from outside the United States, and a majority of our assets will be located within the United States after this offering. Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. 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 considered 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 not as clearly established as 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 some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.
There is uncertainty as to whether the Cayman Islands courts would:
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recognize or enforce against us judgments of U.S. courts based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and |
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entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the U.S. or any state in the U.S. |
We have been advised by Walkers (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that there is uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law related to whether a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws will be determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands as penal or punitive in nature. If such determination is made, the courts of the Cayman Islands may not recognize or enforce the judgment against a Cayman Islands company, such as our company. As the courts of the Cayman Islands have yet to rule on making a determination in relation to judgments obtained from U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws, it is uncertain whether such judgments would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands. We have been further advised that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, a judgment obtained in such jurisdiction will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment:
|
(a) |
is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction; |
|
(b) |
imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given; |
|
(c) |
is final; |
|
(d) |
is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty; |
|
(e) |
was not obtained by fraud; and |
|
(f) |
is not 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). |
Subject to the above limitations, in appropriate circumstances, a Cayman Islands court may give effect in the Cayman Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.
We are offering 20,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units will be used as set forth in the following table.
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Without |
Over-Allotment |
|||||||
|
Gross proceeds |
||||||||
|
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) |
$ | 200,000,000 | $ | 230,000,000 | ||||
|
Gross proceeds from private units offered in the private placement |
5,800,000 | 6,400,000 | ||||||
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Total gross proceeds |
$ | 205,800,000 | $ | 236,400,000 | ||||
|
Estimated offering expenses(2) |
||||||||
|
Underwriting commissions (excluding deferred portion)(3) |
$ | 4,000,000 | $ | 4,600,000 | ||||
|
Legal fees and expenses |
275,000 | 275,000 | ||||||
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Accounting fees and expenses |
100,000 | 100,000 | ||||||
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Printing and engraving expenses |
30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
|
SEC/FINRA expenses |
70,000 | 70,000 | ||||||
|
Nasdaq listing and filing fees |
80,000 | 80,000 | ||||||
|
Miscellaneous expenses(4) |
245,000 | 245,000 | ||||||
|
Total estimated offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) |
$ | 800,000 | $ | 800,000 | ||||
|
Proceeds after estimated offering expenses |
$ | 201,000,000 | $ | 231,000,000 | ||||
|
Held in trust account(3) |
$ | 200,000,000 | $ | 230,000,000 | ||||
|
% of public offering size |
100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
|
Not held in trust account(2) |
$ | 1,000,000 | $ | 1,000,000 | ||||
The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,000,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account, excluding permitted withdrawals(5).
|
Amount |
% of Total |
|||||||
|
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6) |
$ | 245,000 | 24.5 | % | ||||
|
Directors and officers insurance premiums |
125,000 | 12.5 | % | |||||
|
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations |
150,000 | 15.0 | % | |||||
|
Payment for office space, administrative and support services |
480,000 | 48.0 | % | |||||
|
Total |
$ | 1,000,000 | 100.0 | % | ||||
|
(1) |
Includes amounts payable to public shareholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination. |
|
(2) |
A portion of the offering expenses have been paid from the proceeds of a loan from our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account. These expenses are estimates only. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account. |
|
(3) |
The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $7,000,000, which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account, and the remaining funds, less amounts used to pay redeeming shareholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. |
|
(4) |
Includes organizational and administrative expenses and may include amounts related to above-listed expenses in the event actual amounts exceed estimates. |
|
(5) |
These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. Based upon current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $8,000,000 per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. This estimate assumes an interest rate of 4.0% per annum based upon current yields of securities in which the trust account may be invested. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee. 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. |
Nasdaq listing rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private units be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, $200,000,000 (or $230,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), including $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will, upon the consummation of this offering, be placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). Based upon current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $8,000,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 4.0% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account except for permitted withdrawals. The funds held in the trust account will not otherwise be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination; (2) 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 do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to Cayman Islands laws. Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay taxes, if any, and to fund permitted withdrawals.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination and to pay the deferred underwriting commissions. 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 the redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-business combination company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We believe that amounts not held in trust along with permitted withdrawals will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate 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 be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their respective affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to loan funds to, or otherwise invest in, us.
We have entered into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which we have agreed to pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, the administrative services agreement will terminate, and we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note, as amended, to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of August 15, 2025, we have borrowed $37,420 under such promissory note. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of June 30, 2026 and the closing of this offering. This loan will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee. 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 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 initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may also purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. The price per share paid in any such transaction may not be higher than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares or not redeem their public shares. However, such persons are under no obligation or duty to do so and 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will select which shareholders with whom to enter into private transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
In the event that our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their public shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Further, any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making any purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Any of the public shares purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and any of their respective affiliates from public shareholders outside the redemption process described in this prospectus would not be voted in favor of approving our initial business combination. The purpose of any such purchases could be to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our ordinary shares or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase shares from public shareholders, such purchases would by structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities.”
We may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than what the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (2) 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 do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as described elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and private shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our initial shareholders or any of our directors, officers or affiliates 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 prescribed time frame.
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. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
The difference between the public offering price per ordinary share, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value (NTBV) per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
The below calculations (A) assume that (i) no ordinary shares are issued to shareholders of a potential business combination target as consideration or issuable by a post-business combination company, for instance under an equity or employee share purchase plan, (ii) no ordinary shares and convertible equity or debt securities are issued in connection with additional financing that we may seek in connection with an initial business combination, (iii) no working capital loans are converted into private placement units, as further described in this prospectus and (iv) no value is attributed to the warrants, and (B) assume the issuance of 20,000,000 ordinary shares (or 23,000,000 ordinary shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), 5,000,000 founder shares (up to 750,000 of which are assumed to be forfeited in the scenario in which the over-allotment option is not exercised in full) and 580,000 private shares (or 640,000 private units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Such calculations do not reflect any dilution associated with the exercise of warrants as the warrants are accounted for as equity and are only exercisable following the consummation of our initial business combination. The assumed exercise of the warrants would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Further, as we intend to target an initial business combination with a target business whose enterprise value is greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, we may need to issue ordinary shares and convertible equity or debt securities in connection with additional financing. Any such issuances of equity securities could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders.
The following table illustrates the difference between the public offering price per unit and our NTBV per share, as adjusted to give effect to this offering and assuming redemption of our public shares at varying levels and the full exercise and no exercise of the over-allotment option:
|
As of August 15, 2025 |
||||||||
|
Offering Price of $10.00 per Unit |
25% of Maximum Redemption |
50% of Maximum Redemption |
75% of Maximum Redemption |
Maximum Redemption |
||||
|
NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
NTBV |
Difference between NTBV and Offering Price |
|
Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||
|
$7.59 |
$7.00 |
$3.00 |
$6.03 |
$3.97 |
$4.16 |
$5.84 |
$(1.10) |
$11.10 |
|
Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||
|
$7.57 |
$6.98 |
$3.02 |
$6.02 |
$3.98 |
$4.13 |
$5.87 |
$(1.12) |
$11.12 |
The following tables illustrate the dilution to the public shareholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private units:
|
No exercise of over-allotment option |
No Redemption |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
|||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
— | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
|
Decrease attributable to public shareholders and sale of the placement warrants |
7.57 | 6.98 | 6.02 | 4.13 | (1.12 | ) | ||||||||||||||
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
7.57 | 6.98 | 6.02 | 4.13 | (1.12 | ) | ||||||||||||||
|
Dilution to public shareholders |
$ | 2.43 | 3.02 | 3.98 | 5.87 | 11.12 | ||||||||||||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
24.30 | % | 30.20 | % | 39.80 | % | 58.70 | % | 111.20 | % | ||||||||||
|
Full exercise of over-allotment option |
No Redemption |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
|||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
— | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
|
Decrease attributable to public shareholders and sale of the placement warrants |
7.59 | 7.00 | 6.03 | 4.16 | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
7.59 | 7.00 | 6.03 | 4.16 | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||
|
Dilution to public shareholders |
$ | 2.41 | 3.00 | 3.97 | 5.84 | 11.10 | ||||||||||||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
24.10 | % | 30.00 | % | 39.70 | % | 58.40 | % | 111.00 | % | ||||||||||
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $200,000,000 because holders of up to approximately 100% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of ordinary shares sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the public shareholders:
|
Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Number |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Initial Shareholders(1) |
5,000,000 | 19.5 | % | $ | 25,000 | 0.01 | % | $ | 0.005 | |||||||||||
|
Private Shares |
580,000 | 2.3 | % | 5,800,000 | 2.82 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
|
Public Shareholders |
20,000,000 | 78.2 | % | 200,000,000 | 97.17 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
| 25,580,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 205,825,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||||||
|
(1) |
Assumes the full forfeiture of 750,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering for each of the redemption scenarios is calculated as follows:
|
No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase attributable to public shareholders |
7.57 | 7.59 | 6.98 | 7.00 | 6.02 | 6.03 | 4.13 | 4.16 | (1.12 | ) | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Pro forms net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement shares |
7.57 | 7.59 | 6.98 | 7.00 | 6.02 | 6.03 | 4.13 | 4.16 | (1.12 | ) | (1.10 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dilution to public shareholders |
$ | 2.43 | $ | 2.41 | $ | 3.02 | $ | 3.00 | $ | 3.98 | $ | 3.97 | $ | 5.87 | $ | 5.84 | $ | 11.12 | $ | 11.10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
24.30 | % | 24.10 | % | 30.20 | % | 30.00 | % | 39.80 | % | 39.70 | % | 58.70 | % | 58.40 | % | 111.20 | % | 111.00 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum Redemptions |
50% of Maximum Redemptions |
75% of Maximum Redemptions |
Maximum Redemptions |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Numerator: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
$ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | $ | (22,709 | ) | ||||||||||
|
Net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement shares (1) |
201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | 201,000,000 | 231,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Plus: Offering costs accrued for or paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value |
31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | 31,195 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions |
(7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | (7,000,000 | ) | (8,050,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: overallotment liability |
(263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | (263,600 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Amounts paid for redemptions (2) |
— | — | (50,000,000 | ) | (57,500,000 | ) | (100,000,000 | ) | (115,000,000 | ) | (150,000,000 | ) | (172,500,000 | ) | (200,000,000 | ) | (230,000,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 193,744,886 | 222,958,486 | 143,744,886 | 165,458,486 | 93,744,886 | 107,958,486 | 43,744,886 | 50,458,486 | (6,255,114 | ) | (7,041,514 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Denominator: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering |
5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | 5,750,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
(750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | (750,000 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares offered and sale of private placement shares |
20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Less: Ordinary shares redeemed |
— | — | (5,000,000 | ) | (5,750,000 | ) | (10,000,000 | ) | (11,500,000 | ) | (15,000,000 | ) | (17,250,000 | ) | (20,000,000 | ) | (23,000,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25,580,000 | 29,390,000 | 20,580,000 | 23,640,000 | 15,580,000 | 17,890,000 | 10,580,000 | 12,140,000 | 5,580,000 | 6,390,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of approximately $800,000 (excluding deferred underwriting commissions). See “Use of Proceeds.”
(2) Upon the consummation of our initial business combination, the deferred underwriting commissions would be paid as follows: $0.20 per unit sold in the base offering, or $4,000,000 (or up to $4,600,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.
(3) If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”
The following table sets forth our capitalization at August 15, 2025, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our 20,000,000 units in this offering for $200,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 580,000 private units for $5,800,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option:
|
August 15, 2025 |
||||||||
|
Actual |
As Adjusted |
|||||||
|
Promissory note to sponsor(1) |
$ | 37,420 | — | |||||
|
Deferred underwriting commissions |
— | 7,000,000 | ||||||
|
Over-allotment liability |
— | 263,600 | ||||||
|
Ordinary shares, subject to redemption; 0 shares actual and 20,000,000 shares as adjusted(3) |
— | 200,000,000 | ||||||
|
Shareholders’ deficit |
||||||||
|
Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized (actual and as adjusted); none issued or outstanding (actual and as adjusted) |
— | — | ||||||
|
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 400,000,000 shares authorized (actual and as adjusted); 5,750,000 shares issued and outstanding (actual) (excluding 20,000,000 shares subject to redemption); 5,580,000 issued and outstanding (as adjusted)(4) |
575 | 558 | ||||||
|
Additional paid-in capital(5) |
24,425 | — | ||||||
|
Accumulated deficit |
(16,514 | ) | (6,255,672 | ) | ||||
|
Total shareholders’ deficit |
8,486 | (6,255,114 | ) | |||||
|
Total capitalization |
$ | 45,906 | $ | 201,008,486 | ||||
|
(1) |
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any loans made under this note out of the proceeds from this offering. As of August 15, 2025, we have borrowed $37,420 under the promissory note. |
|
(2) |
Assumes the full forfeiture of 750,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the initial business combination. |
|
(3) |
Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals), following such redemptions, and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. All ordinary shares are redeemable and classified as such on the balance sheet until such date that a redemption event takes place. All of the 20,000,000 ordinary shares sold as part of the units in the offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with our liquidation, if there is a shareholder vote or tender offer in connection with the business combination and in connection with certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. The “as adjusted” amount of ordinary shares subject to redemption equals the “as adjusted” total assets of $201,008,486 less the “as adjusted” total liabilities of $7,263,600 less “as adjusted” total shareholder’s deficit of $6,255,114. The value of ordinary shares that may be redeemed is equal to $10.00 per share (which is the assumed redemption price) multiplied by 20,000,000 ordinary shares, which is the maximum number of ordinary shares that may be redeemed for a $10.00 purchase price per share. |
|
(4) |
Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our initial shareholders and as adjusted share amount assumes exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option plus the shares issued in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. |
|
(5) |
The “as adjusted” additional paid-in capital calculation is equal to the “as adjusted” total shareholders’ deficit of $6,255,114, minus the par value of the ordinary shares of $0.0001, plus the accumulated deficit of $6,255,672. |
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands on August 1, 2025 for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, shares and debt.
The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preference shares in a business combination:
|
● |
may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; |
|
● |
may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our ordinary shares; |
|
● |
could cause a change of control if a substantial number of ordinary shares are issued, which could result in the resignation or removal of our present directors and officers; |
|
● |
may 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; |
|
● |
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
|
● |
may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
Similarly, if we issue debt or otherwise incur significant indebtedness, it could result in:
|
● |
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; |
|
● |
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
|
● |
our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
|
● |
our inability to pay dividends on our 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 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. |
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 and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the founder shares to our sponsor and up to $300,000 in loans from our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of August 15, 2025, we have borrowed $37,420 under the promissory note. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $800,000 and underwriting commissions of $4,000,000, or $4,600,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)) and (2) the sale of the private units for a purchase price of $5,800,000 will be $201,000,000 (or $231,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $200,000,000 or $230,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, including $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions will be deposited into the trust account. The funds 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). The remaining $1,000,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000 we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any, and to fund permitted withdrawals. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes and to fund permitted withdrawals. To the extent that our equity or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a business combination, and to pay taxes to the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our taxes.
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 directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee. 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.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $245,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses in connection with any business combinations; $125,000 for director’s and officer’s insurance; approximately $150,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; and approximately $480,000 for office space, administrative and support services.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision 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 an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to report and evaluate and report on our system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026. Only in the event that 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. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we intend 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 independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
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staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; |
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reconciliation of accounts; |
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proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; |
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evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; |
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documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and |
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documentation of accounting policies and procedures. |
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units held in the trust account will be invested 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Related Party Transactions
On August 1, 2025, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash used to purchase such shares by the number of founder shares issued. Our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares after this offering (not including the private units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Up to 750,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
We have entered into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which we have agreed to pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, the administrative services agreement will terminate, and we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our audit committee will review and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note, as amended, to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of August 15, 2025, we have borrowed $37,420 under such promissory note. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of June 30, 2026 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee. 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.
Our sponsor and BTIG have committed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 private units (or 640,000 private units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private unit will consist of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, except that they (including the underlying securities) are entitled to registration rights. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement that we will enter into with our sponsor and the holders of the private units on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. See “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of August 15, 2025, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things: (1) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (2) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; (3) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the report of the independent registered public accounting firm providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis); and (4) disclose certain executive compensation-related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
Our Company
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. was incorporated as an exempted company in Cayman Islands on August 1, 2025 as a blank check company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our “initial business combination.” To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. However, some members of our management team have previously engaged in discussions with potential business combination targets in their capacity as officers of Archimedes II. We may pursue business combination targets that have previously been in discussions with Archimedes II’s management team.
Our initial business combination and value creation strategy will be to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, assist in the growth of a technology business in the United States. While we may pursue a business combination target in any business, industry or geographical location, our focus will be on the artificial intelligence, cloud services and automotive technology sectors. However, we are not limited to the technology industry, or the named sectors, and we may pursue a business combination opportunity in any business or industry we choose and we may pursue a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States.
Our management team consists of seasoned professionals who have experience spanning the technology industry, including the sectors within the technology industry that we intend to focus on initially, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance and compliance and legal matters, and investment management. See “Management” and “Management – Prior Experience with Blank Check Companies” for additional information about our directors and executive officers. We believe that our officers’ and directors’ industry expertise, transaction experience and relationships may provide us with a substantial number of attractive potential business combination targets.
Dr. Eric R. Ball, our Chairman nominee, also serves as the Chairman of Archimedes II. Dr. Ball is a Founding General Partner of Impact Venture Capital, or Impact VC. Impact VC is a Silicon Valley based venture firm investing in early-stage applied artificial intelligence startup companies since 2016. Previously Dr. Ball held several senior level management positions in high growth technology companies. Dr. Ball was the Chief Financial Officer for C3.AI from 2015 to 2016. Prior to that Dr. Ball spent over a decade with Oracle Corp, including acting as Senior Vice President & Treasurer, and previously was a senior financial professional for Flextronics International, Cisco Systems, Avery Dennison, and AT&T. Dr. Ball has served as advisor and board member of several technology companies, including having served as chairman of the audit committee for the board of Glu Mobile Inc. Dr. Ball served as the Chairman of Archimedes I, which completed its merger with SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) in April 2022, and Dr. Ball remains as a Board member and is currently serving as the Audit Chair of SoundHound AI, Inc.
Long Long, our Chief Executive Officer and director since December 2025, was previously our Chief Financial Officer from August 2025 to December 2025. Mr. Long is also the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Archimedes II since June 2024. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as the Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners Co. (“Archimedes I”), which consummated its business combination with SoundHound AI, Inc. in April 2022. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Global SPAC Partners Co. (“Global SPAC”), a blank check company with $169 million held in trust which consummated its business combination with Gorilla Technology Group Inc. in 2022. From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. (“Ackrell SPAC”), a blank check company with $140 million held in trust which liquidated its trust and delisted from Nasdaq in August 2022. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Long was Vice President of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, sponsor of Twelve Seas Investment Company (“Twelve Seas”), a blank check company with $207 million held in trust that consummated its initial business combination with Brooge Energy Limited in December 2019. From 2006 to 2016, Mr. Long worked for IBM in a variety of Corporate Finance, Audit, and Managerial roles, both within the U.S. and internationally. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Long served as Finance Controller for IBM China’s Consulting Business Unit and Sales Channels. From 2013 to 2014, Mr. Long served as Strategy and Planning Manager for IBM China and, from January 2012 to December 2012, as a Senior Finance Analyst for IBM China. From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Long served as Internal Auditor for IBM’s Asia Pacific region and, from 2006 to 2009, as a financial analyst for IBM’s worldwide operations. Mr. Long graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance and a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Ming (K.M.) Chan has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 2025. Ms. Chan also serves as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes II. From April 2024 to March 2025, Ms. Chan was a project manager at Zurich Insurance. From 2021 to 2022, Ms. Chan served as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes I, Ackrell SPAC, and Global SPAC. From 2009 to 2021, and previously from 2000 to 2006, Ms. Chan worked for IBM throughout North America, Europe and Asia in Pricing, Internal Audit, Data Analytics, and Finance Transformation. From 2018 to 2021, Ms. Chan also co-founded and managed Hong Kong Community Composting ltd, a first-of-a-kind social enterprise diverting residential food waste from landfill to bioenergy facilities in collaboration with the local government. From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Chan worked as a senior consultant at global business consulting firm Protiviti. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Chan worked at Xerox in Corporate Finance. From 2017 to 2021, Ms. Chan served as a charity Advisory Board Member at Soap Cycling. Ms. Chan graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. Ms. Chan is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Ben Landen, our Chief Technology Officer since December 2025, was previously our director and Chief Executive Officer from August 2025 to December 2025. Mr. Landen also serves as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Landen served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes I. In 2020, Mr. Landen co-founded Superposition Venture Partners, a technology-focused early-stage and pre-IPO investment firm, and is serving as its Managing Director. From 2021 to October 2025, Mr. Landen has served as the Vice President of Business Development for the autonomous vehicle solutions developer, Cyngn Inc., after serving as the Senior Director of Product & Partnerships for Cyngn Inc. since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Landen was the Head of Product & Business Development at DeepScale (acquired by Tesla), a venture-backed startup that developed AI perception solutions for autonomous vehicles. Mr. Landen began his career as one of the first automotive business managers of Maxim Integrated, where he spearheaded the fledgling automotive business unit’s growth and ultimately managed a $100 million automotive semiconductor product line.
Daniel L. Sheehan, our director nominee, also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Sheehan served as the Chief Operating Officer of Archimedes I. From 2020 to 2022, Mr Sheehan served as a director of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. Since 1995, Mr. Sheehan has been an attorney licensed in the State of California. Since 2004, Mr. Sheehan has been the founder and managing partner of Silicon Valley Wealth Law, a law firm specializing in estate planning, tax planning, business planning, and special needs planning. Mr. Sheehan has expertise in handling federal and state income tax matters and disputes, in the formation and operation of business entities, and has provided strategic planning and technology enhancement guidance to new business ventures and established companies. Mr. Sheehan has senior management experience with companies in a range of industries, including computer-aided manufacturing, real estate development, health care, mining, and law. Mr. Sheehan has frequently consulted with venture capitalists to review and advise them about investment opportunities. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Sheehan was Chief Executive Officer of North Star Resources, a provider of technology for the extraction and refining of precious and strategic metals. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Sheehan was a partner in the law firm of Davidson, Sheehan & Jewel. Mr. Sheehan graduated from St. Mary’s College of California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management with honors. Mr. Sheehan received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Vishwesh Pai, our director nominee, also serves as a director of Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Pai served as Technology Advisor to Archimedes I. Since March 2025, Mr. Pai has served as Head of Product for Jira Service Management & AI at Atlassian. Since 2022, Mr. Pai has been a Partner at Alphatron Capital, a US-based venture capital firm investing in technology companies in India. From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Pai served as Senior Director of Product Management at ServiceNow for its AI Platform. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Pai was the Head of Product in Amazon for the Amazon Alexa Multimodal Cloud Platform. From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Pai was a Director of Product Management at Samsung. Prior to 2015, Mr. Pai held various software and engineering roles in Infosys Technologies, Qualcomm Inc., and Ayla Networks. Mr. Pai graduated from Visvesvaraya Technological University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, from North Carolina State University with a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering, and from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business with a Master of Business Administration degree.
The past performance of our management team or of their affiliates is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team’s or their affiliates’ performance as indicative of our future performance. Moreover, although some of our key personnel may remain with a target business in senior management or advisory positions following a business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. Additionally, our management team members are subject to certain conflicts of interest. For more information, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Sponsor and Management Team and their Respective Affiliates.”
Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies wishing to conduct business outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking (being August 5, 2025), no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall 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 shall 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.
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. is an affiliate of our sponsor, Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC. Formed in June 2025, the sponsor is a U.S.-based limited liability company formed for the purpose of acting as the sponsor in connection with this offering and the sponsor conducts no other business. The sponsor may also engage in and do any act concerning any or all lawful businesses for which limited liability companies may be organized under Delaware law.
Business Strategy
We believe that there are a range of target businesses that could benefit from our industry knowledge, relationships, capital and public vehicle. Our strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with a target operating in the technology industry. Our focus will be on the artificial intelligence, cloud services and automotive technology sectors. While we intend to initially focus on potential opportunities in the United States, the technology industry is global and we may pursue opportunities internationally.
Following the completion of this offering, our management team plans to identify and contact potential target businesses and start to evaluate and pursue a possible business combination. In addition, we will communicate the parameters of our search to our network of relationships and transaction sources to help us identify potential target businesses. We intend to leverage our team’s collective experience in the technology industry and capital markets to successfully complete a business combination, and then continue to support our target business with our industry relationships, insights and regulatory knowledge, financial expertise and capital resources.
Competitive Strengths
We believe we are well positioned to find and attract an exciting technology business, and to help them as a newly public company grow and thrive, offering a partnership that extends far beyond our capital. Our management team’s deep operational experience, product experience, extensive networks, and track records as investors, advisors, and board members make us an attractive partner.
We are dedicated to finding bold founders, operators, and inventors who are committed to building a leading business and would benefit from access to the public markets as well as working with our team. We have a proven track record of success in the technology industry as senior executives, investors and board members and are confident that we can partner with other founders, shareholder and management to help support building a category-defining business. We believe we possess the following tools to drive value creation at a company:
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Experience recognizing key technology trends: Our team has demonstrated a long history of managing and growing businesses at the epicenter of major technology trends. |
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Experience identifying strong management teams: With key members of our team having had significant senior executive roles at technology companies, we believe we have an ability to identify the characteristics of successful business leaders, and effective in engaging with these management teams. In addition, key members of our team have more recently been investing in many founder-led businesses. |
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History of operating experience: The members of our team are seasoned operators having held executive level roles in various companies. We have experience in developing and executing strategy, building and retaining teams, and executing business combinations among other activities. |
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Deep network and connections to company founders: Our team has many connections to company founders and business leaders across sectors within the technology industry. We have invested in many companies, served on many boards and have worked with many influential founders and senior management teams within the technology industry, and specifically the sectors we intend to initially focus on. We believe our network and our connections will assist in the successful selection of our initial business combination and subsequent guidance of the company. |
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Prior SPAC Experience: Our management team possesses a strong understanding of the SPAC structure and market. Members of our management team have served as members of the board and management of an aggregate of seven SPACs that have completed initial public offerings, six of which have consummated a business combination. |
Following the completion of this offering, we will communicate with our founding team’s network, which includes private equity firms, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and business leaders, to articulate the parameters for our search for a partner company and a potential business combination and to begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potential opportunities.
Investment Criteria
We intend to leverage the extensive network and experience of our management team in identifying a suitable target within the technology industry and structuring a business combination that is attractive to both the target and our public shareholders. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. While we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating prospective businesses, we may deviate from these criteria and guidelines should we see fit to do so:
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Clear and Sustainable Competitive Advantages: We intend to target businesses that differentiate themselves from their peers in ways that are difficult to replicate and have clear competitive advantages. Members of our team have accomplished track records of founding, operating, and investing in the technology industry and intend to focus on prospective businesses that engage with technology to serve customers in novel and transformational manner. We believe our team’s expertise and understanding of innovative businesses will be paramount in identifying and assessing initial business combination candidates. |
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High Growth Potential and Cash Flow: We intend to seek businesses that are well positioned to grow in their respective markets and which have clear plans on how to leverage additional capital to accelerate growth. We expect to target businesses that have had, or expect to have, strong cash flow generation. We believe that our team’s collective experiences engaging with innovative businesses positions us well to identify, nurture, and expand high potential businesses. |
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Experienced Management Teams: We intend to seek to target businesses that have strong, experienced and dynamic management teams who we believe may benefit from our financial, managerial and investment expertise as well as our extensive industry networks and insights. We believe that identifying such management teams is particularly important given our target industry. |
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Attractive Valuations: We intend to only evaluate a business that, based on our due diligence and industry experience, represents an attractive valuation relative to publicly listed companies with similar characteristics or in similar industry segments. We intend to seek businesses in which we believe we can add operational value through mentorship of management, knowledge of operating challenges, experience with industry dynamics, expertise in navigating public markets, and strategic relationships with investors, among others. |
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Will Benefit from Being a Public Company: We intend to pursue a business that will benefit from being a public company, including potentially having broader access to capital and a public currency for acquisitions. |
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. We may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, and in the event we do so, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.
OUR ACQUISITION PROCESS
While we have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us, we have engaged in an extensive research effort to identify a large number of potential targets.
We intend to leverage our resources and network for efficient outreach to commence immediately after the date of this prospectus. Our effort will be focused on creating proprietary transaction opportunities. We believe personal relationships built over time are critical not just in generating transaction opportunities, but also in consummating a 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 with 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.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders or members of our management team; accordingly, such affiliated person(s) 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 and in negotiating or accepting the terms of the transaction as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public shareholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders or members of our management team, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our initial shareholders, 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 initial shareholders, officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor and other initial shareholders are likely to make a substantial profit on their investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline materially.
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team may from time to time become aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue as an initial business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to a business combination transaction with us.
As described in “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities (including Archimedes II) pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties (including, without limitation, Archimedes II, he or she may be required to honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. As a result, Archimedes II may be given priority over us with respect to business combination opportunities, and our officers and/or directors may have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved and could have additional conflicts in the future. 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. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders and members of our management team may participate in the formation of, invest in (on behalf of themselves, their affiliates or its and their clients), or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior to completion of our initial business combination. As a result, our initial shareholders and members of our management team could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved.
INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION
We will have up to 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. We may hold a shareholder vote at any time to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the amount of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination (as well as to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the time periods described herein or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity). As described herein, our sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed that they will not propose any such amendment unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject, in each case, to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, while we do not currently intend to seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the amount of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination, we may elect to do so in the future. Subject to our compliance with applicable laws and stock exchange listing rules, there is no limit on the number of extensions that we may seek; however, we do not expect to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination beyond 36 months from the closing of this offering. If we determine not to or are unable to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination or fail to obtain shareholder approval to extend the completion window, our sponsor’s investment in our founder shares, private shares and private warrants will be worthless.
Nasdaq listing rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
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 issued and 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 issued and 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 our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity securities of a target business 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 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, directors or officers; accordingly, such affiliated person(s) 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 and in negotiating or accepting the terms of the transaction as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public shareholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting 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.
For additional discussion relating to potential conflicts of interest relating to sourcing of potential business combination targets, see “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Our executive offices are located at 2093 Philadelphia Pike #1968, Claymont, DE 19703, and our telephone number is (619) 719-1810. 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 prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to invest in our securities.
STATUS AS A PUBLIC COMPANY
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer target businesses an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their capital stock, shares or other equity securities in the target business for our shares or for a combination of our shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company for each fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues are less than $100 million during the previous completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter.
FINANCIAL POSITION
With funds available for a business combination, initially in the amount of $193,000,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $7,000,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $221,950,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $8,050,000 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case, after taking into account an aggregate of $1,800,000 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
EFFECTING OUR INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, our shares, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. 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 the redemptions of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
SHAREHOLDERS MAY NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE OUR INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether shareholder approval is currently required under Cayman Islands law for each such transaction.
|
Type of Transaction |
Whether Required |
|
|
Purchase of assets |
Yes |
|
|
Purchase of share of target not involving a merger with the company |
Yes |
|
|
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company |
Yes |
|
|
Merger of the company with a target |
Yes |
Under Nasdaq listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
|
● |
we issue ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our ordinary shares then issued and outstanding (other than in a public offering); |
|
● |
any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of ordinary shares to be issued, or if the number of ordinary shares into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of ordinary shares or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors and officers or (b) 5% of the number of ordinary shares or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial securityholders; or |
|
● |
the issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule will be based on business and other reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
|
● |
the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company; |
|
● |
the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote; |
|
● |
other time and budget constraints of the company; and |
|
● |
additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders. |
PERMITTED PURCHASES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO OUR SECURITIES
In the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates determine to undertake any such transactions, such transactions could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. They will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to refrain from trading securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
|
● |
our registration statement or proxy statement filed for the business combination transaction discloses the possibility that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will purchase our securities outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; |
|
● |
our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will purchase our securities at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; |
|
● |
our registration statement or proxy statement filed for the business combination transaction includes a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; |
|
● |
our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates do not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they possess redemption rights, they waive such rights; and |
|
● |
we discloses in a Form 8-K, prior to the security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following: |
|
o |
the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates, along with the purchase price; |
|
o |
the purpose of the purchases our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates; |
|
o |
the impact, if any, of the purchases our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; |
|
o |
the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their respective affiliates; and |
|
o |
the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. |
Further, any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making any purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
The purpose of such transaction could be to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and/or any of their respective affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of public shares) following our mailing of proxy or tender offer materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account. Such persons would select the shareholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may not be higher than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
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 public 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 the initial business combination, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination. At the completion of our initial business combination, we will be required to purchase any public 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. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
MANNER OF CONDUCTING REDEMPTIONS
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (1) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (2) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be 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 the Companies Act or stock exchange listing requirement. 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. If a shareholder vote is not required and we choose not to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement.
If shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, 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. |
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least twenty days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a preliminary proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our Nasdaq listing or Exchange Act registration.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only with the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a simple majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting. Our sponsor, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. As a result, we would need 7,210,001, or 36.1% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), or 815,001, or 4.1% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have such initial business combination approved. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether it votes for, votes against, or votes at all with respect to the proposed business combination.
Redemptions of our public shares may be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).
If, however, a shareholder vote is not required and we decide not to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
|
● |
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. |
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 ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. Furthermore, redemptions of our public shares may be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than the amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).
LIMITATION ON REDEMPTION RIGHTS 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 will 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 ordinary shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates 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 this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this 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. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants or our private placement units and their underlying securities.
TENDERING SHARE CERTIFICATES IN CONNECTION WITH REDEMPTION RIGHTS OR A TENDER OFFER
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The proxy or tender offer materials, 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, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days, and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least twenty days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a preliminary proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. 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 tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the general meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or two business days prior to the scheduled date of the general meeting set forth in our proxy materials, 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.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until the end of the completion window.
REDEMPTION OF PUBLIC SHARES AND LIQUIDATION IF NO INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION
Our sponsor, directors and officers have agreed, and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, that we will initially have until the end of the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period. Our public shareholders will be permitted to redeem their shares regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination.
Our sponsor has entered into written agreements with us, pursuant to which it has waived its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares it holds if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our sponsor acquires public shares, it will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our sponsor, directors, and officers have agreed, pursuant to written agreements with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $1,000,000 of proceeds 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 following permitted withdrawals, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities and Trust Account — If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors described above. Under Cayman laws, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our shareholders. 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 (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver only if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason.
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our other officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. 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. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities and Trust Account — If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors described above.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses 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 this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,000,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, as well as permitted withdrawals, with which to pay any such potential claims. In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
Our public shareholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete a business combination within the required time period, if the shareholders seek to have us convert or purchase their respective shares upon a business combination which is actually completed by us or upon certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to consummating an initial business combination. In no other circumstances shall a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy or insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return to our public shareholders at least $10.00 per share.
If we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy or insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy 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, 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. 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 for a fine of approximately $18,000 (or 15,000 Cayman Islands dollars) and imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
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Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
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Escrow of offering proceeds |
$200,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee. |
At least $170,100,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
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Investment of net proceeds |
$200,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private units held in trust 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). |
Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
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Receipt of interest on escrowed funds |
Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (1) permitted withdrawals and (2) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. |
Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. |
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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
Nasdaq listing rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. |
The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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Trading of securities issued |
The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The ordinary shares and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
No trading of the units or the underlying ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
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Exercise of the warrants |
The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the closing of this offering. |
The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
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Election to remain an investor |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of 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 (net of permitted withdrawals), upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by applicable law or stock exchange rules to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange rules and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days, and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least twenty days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a preliminary proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only with the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a simple majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether it votes for, votes against, or votes at all with respect to the proposed business combination. |
A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
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Business combination deadline |
If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the issued and outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. |
If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
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Release of funds |
Except with respect to permitted withdrawals, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination; (2) 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 do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law. |
The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote |
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 will 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 Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering), without our prior consent. Our public shareholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. |
Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination. |
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Tendering share certificates in connection with redemption rights or a tender offer |
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option.
The proxy or tender offer materials, 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 from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. |
In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. |
COMPETITION
We expect to encounter intense 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 greater technical, human and other resources 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. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, 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, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we are obligated to pay cash for our ordinary shares, these payments will 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.
INDEMNITY
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of permitted withdrawals, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.
FACILITIES
We currently maintain our executive offices at 2093 Philadelphia Pike #1968, Claymont, DE 19703. The cost for this space is included in the $20,000 per month fee that we will pay to our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
EMPLOYEES AND HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES
We currently have two officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any such person will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
PERIODIC REPORTING AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
We will register our units, ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public auditors.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, U.S. GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with PCAOB standards. 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 financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the completion window. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate and report on our system of internal controls for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking (being August 5, 2025), 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.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, 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 for each fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues are less than $100 million during the previous completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the end of the previous year’s second fiscal quarter.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Our directors and executive officers upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part will be as follows:
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Name |
Age |
Position |
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| Dr. Eric R. Ball |
61 |
Chairman of the Board nominee |
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Long Long |
41 |
Chief Executive Officer and director |
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Ming (K.M.) Chan |
49 |
Chief Financial Officer |
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| Ben Landen | 38 | Chief Technology Officer | ||
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Daniel L. Sheehan |
71 |
Director nominee |
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Vishwesh Pai |
41 |
Director nominee |
Dr. Eric R. Ball will serve as our Chairman of the Board upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Dr. Ball has served as the Chairman of Archimedes II. Since 2022, Dr. Ball has served as a Board member and the Audit Chair of SoundHound AI, Inc. Since 2016, Dr. Ball is a Founding General Partner of Impact Venture Capital, a Silicon Valley based venture firm investing in early-stage applied-AI start-up companies. From 2021 until 2022, Dr. Ball served as Chairman of the Board of Archimedes I. From 2015 until 2016, Dr. Ball served as Chief Financial Officer for C3 AI, an enterprise AI software provider. From 2005 to 2015, Dr. Ball served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer for Oracle. Prior to 2005, Dr. Ball served in a variety of finance roles at Flextronics International, Cisco Systems, Avery Dennison, and AT&T. Dr. Ball has served as Chairman of the Board of CapConnect+, a start-up company that is focused on linking corporate bond issuers to their institutional buyers, since 2020. Dr. Ball has also served as an advisor to Kyriba, a private treasury management software provider, since 2017. Dr. Ball served as a board member and Audit Chairman of Glu Mobile Inc., a developer and publisher of mobile games, from 2013 to 2021. Dr. Ball received his Ph.D. in management at the Drucker School of Management – Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Ball received his MBA in finance and a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of Rochester. Dr. Ball graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Dr. Ball is also the co-author of the book “Unlocking the Ivory Tower”. We believe that Dr. Ball is well-qualified to serve as a director of the company given his extensive finance, mergers & acquisitions, investing and public company experience in the technology industry.
Long Long has been our Chief Executive Officer and director since December 2025; Mr. Long was previously our Chief Financial Officer from August 2025 to December 2025. Since June 2024, Mr. Long has served as the Chief Executive Officer and as a director of Archimedes II. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as the Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes I. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Global SPAC. From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Ackrell SPAC. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Long served as Vice President of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, sponsor of Twelve Seas. From 2006 to 2016, Mr. Long worked for IBM in a variety of corporate finance, audit and managerial roles, both within the U.S. and internationally. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Long served as Finance Controller for IBM China’s Consulting Business Unit and Sales Channels. From 2013 to 2014, Mr. Long served as Strategy and Planning Manager for IBM China and, from January 2012 to December 2012, as a Senior Finance Analyst for IBM China. From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Long served as Internal Auditor for IBM’s Asia Pacific region and, from 2006 to 2009, as a financial analyst for IBM’s worldwide operations. Mr. Long graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance and a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Ming (K.M.) Chan has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 2025. Since February 2025, Ms. Chan has served as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes II. From April 2024 to March 2025, Ms. Chan was a project manager at Zurich Insurance. From 2021 to 2022, Ms. Chan served as the Head of Finance and Operations of Archimedes I, Ackrell SPAC, and Global SPAC. From 2009 to 2021, and previously from 2000 to 2006, Ms. Chan worked for IBM throughout North America, Europe and Asia in Pricing, Internal Audit, Data Analytics, and Finance Transformation. From 2018 to 2021, Ms. Chan also co-founded and managed Hong Kong Community Composting ltd, a first-of-a-kind social enterprise diverting residential food waste from landfill to bioenergy facilities in collaboration with the local government. From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Chan worked as a senior consultant at global business consulting firm Protiviti. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Chan worked at Xerox in Corporate Finance. From 2017 to 2021, Ms. Chan served as a charity Advisory Board Member at Soap Cycling. Ms. Chan graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. Mr. Chan is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Ben Landen has been our Chief Technology Officer since December 2025; Mr. Landen was previously our Chief Executive Officer and director from August 2025 to December 2025. Since February 2025, Mr. Landen has served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Landen served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes I. In 2020, Mr. Landen co-founded Superposition Venture Partners, a technology-focused early-stage and pre-IPO investment firm and serves as its Managing Director. From 2021 to October 2025, Mr. Landen served as the Vice President of Business Development for the autonomous vehicle solutions developer, Cyngn Inc., after serving as the Senior Director of Product and Partnership for Cyngn Inc. since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Landen served as the Head of Product & Business Development at DeepScale, a venture-backed startup that developed AI perception solutions for autonomous vehicles (acquired by Tesla in 2019). Mr. Landen began his career as one of the first automotive business managers of Maxim Integrated, where he spearheaded the fledgling automotive business unit’s growth and ultimately managed a $100 million automotive semiconductor product line.
Daniel L. Sheehan will serve as our director upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Mr. Sheehan has served as the Chief Financial Officer for Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Sheehan served as the Chief Operating Officer of Archimedes I. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Sheehan served as a director of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. Since 1995, Mr. Sheehan has been an attorney licensed in the State of California. Since 2004, Mr. Sheehan has been the founder and managing partner of Silicon Valley Wealth Law, a law firm specializing in estate planning, tax planning, business planning, and special needs planning. Mr. Sheehan has expertise in handling federal and state income tax matters and disputes, in the formation and operation of business entities, and has provided strategic planning and technology enhancement guidance to new business ventures and established companies. Mr. Sheehan has senior management experience with companies in a range of industries, including computer-aided manufacturing, real estate development, health care, mining, and law. Mr. Sheehan has frequently consulted with venture capitalists to review and advise them about investment opportunities. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Sheehan was Chief Executive Officer of North Star Resources, a provider of technology for the extraction and refining of precious and strategic metals. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Sheehan was a partner in the law firm of Davidson, Sheehan & Jewel. Mr. Sheehan graduated from St. Mary’s College of California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management with honors. Mr. Sheehan received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Vishwesh Pai will serve as our director upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Pai also serves as a director of Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Pai served as Technology Advisor to Archimedes I. Since March 2025, Mr. Pai has served as Head of Product for Jira Service Management & AI at Atlassian. Since 2022, Mr. Pai has been a Partner at Alphatron Capital, a US-based venture capital firm investing in technology companies in India. From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Pai served as Senior Director of Product Management at ServiceNow for its AI Platform. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Pai was the Head of Product in Amazon for the Amazon Alexa Multimodal Cloud Platform. From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Pai was a Director of Product Management at Samsung. Prior to 2015, Mr. Pai held various software and engineering roles in Infosys Technologies, Qualcomm Inc., and Ayla Networks. Mr. Pai graduated from Visvesvaraya Technological University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, from North Carolina State University with a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering, and from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business with a Master of Business Administration degree.
Special Advisor and Technical Advisor
Brent Callinicos will serve as one of our Special Advisors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Mr. Callinicos has served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Callinicos served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes I. Mr. Callinicos is currently an angel investor, active in investing in early-stage technology companies. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Callinicos served as Chief Financial Officer of Uber Technologies Inc. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Callinicos worked at Google Inc., including as Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Accountant. From 1992 to 2007, Mr. Callinicos worked at Microsoft Corporation, including as Treasurer, Vice President of Worldwide Licensing and Pricing, and CFO of the Platforms and Services Division. Mr. Callinicos is on the boards of directors of several companies including PVH Corp., a fashion and apparel company, Baidu, and Rubicon Technologies, as well as Acorns, a private company. Mr. Callinicos has a Bachelor of Business Administration and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Dr. Luc Julia will serve as one of our Special Advisors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Dr. Julia has served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. Since 2021, Dr. Julia has served as Chief Scientific Officer of Renault Group. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Julia served as a director of Archimedes I. From 2012 to 2021, Dr. Julia served as the CTO and Senior Vice President of Innovation for Samsung Electronics. From 2011 to 2012, Dr. Julia served as a Director of Siri at Apple and was a co-author of Siri’s core patents. From 2010 to 2011, Dr. Julia served as Chief Technologist at Hewlett-Packard. From 2000 to 2010, Dr. Julia served as the Co-founder and Vice President of R&D of BravoBrava!, a tech incubator focusing on new interfaces for education, multimodal and multimedia products. From 2004 to 2010, Dr. Julia served as the CTO of ORB Networks, a start-up he co-founded that provided digital media streaming solutions for digital home and remote access applications. From 2001 to 2008, Dr. Julia served as the CTO of SpeaK ESL, a company he co-founded which leveraged speech recognition and web technologies to help non-native speakers to practice and improve their English. From 2000 to 2007, Dr. Julia served as the Vice President of R&D of Soliloquy Learning, a company he co-founded which pioneered the Reading Assistant that combines advanced speech recognition technology with science-based interventions to help children strengthen their reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. From 1994 to 2000, Dr. Julia served in several research roles at SRI International, an independent, non-profit research institute, during which time Dr. Julia co-founded Nuance Communications, now a multi-national software corporation focused on speech recognition and artificial intelligence. Dr. Julia received his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Paris. Dr. Julia graduated from the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Dr. Julia is the recipient of Légion d’Honneur, the highest order of France, Officer of the National Order of Merit, and is a member of France’s National Academy of Technologies. Dr. Julia is also the author of the bestselling book “There is no such thing as Artificial Intelligence” and holds dozens of patents.
Jack Crawford will serve as one of our Special Advisors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Mr. Crawford has served as a director of Archimedes II. Mr. Crawford is a Founding General Partner of Impact Venture Capital since 2016. Previously, Mr. Crawford was a General Partner at Velocity Venture Capital from 2013 to 2016 where he managed the venture portfolio of Oracle. Prior to 2013, Mr. Crawford was an angel investor in various companies and served as a mentor in a startup accelerator program in partnership with the University of Pacific and, before that, Mr. Crawford was a Certified Public Accountant with PriceWaterhouseCooper. Mr. Crawford has also served as a member of the Board of Cornami, Inc. since 2017 and a member of the Board of TaskHuman, Inc. since 2019. Mr. Crawford also served as a member of the Board of Giga IO, Inc. from 2019 to 2022. Mr. Crawford was the recipient of the Kauffman Fellows Leadership Award upon graduation from the Kauffman Fellows Program in 2013 and he also served as an adjunct professor for multiple MBA programs with the University of Southern California and the University of Pacific through the Kauffman Fellows Program.
Maheedhar Gunturu will serve as one of our Special Advisors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2025, Mr. Gunturu has served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes II. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Gunturu served as a Special Advisor to Archimedes I. Mr. Gunturu has extensive Silicon Valley experience in Big Data, AI, IoT, Cyber Security, 5G, and software ecosystems and has led technology scaling and growth across various startups and major enterprises. As a senior leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Mr. Gunturu led global innovation in cloud and data solutions for complex customer needs, expanding AWS’s market influence. Since 2018, Mr. Gunturu has served as Global Head and Senior Director of Partnership Engineering at ScyllaDB, building strategic alliances to extend ScyllaDB’s reach in enterprise data. Previously, from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Gunturu was Director of Cloud Engineering at SmartThings, leading cloud initiatives that boosted the company’s consumer Internet-of-Things efforts. Previously, Mr. Gunturu had also served in various technical roles at VoltDB, MapR Technologies, Zscaler, and Qualcomm. An active open-source contributor, Mr. Gunturu has supported projects like Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, and PyTorch. Mr. Gunturu is also the Founder and CEO of Ittican, a non-profit focused on improving children’s quality of life. Mr. Gunturu holds a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
We currently expect our advisors to (i) assist us in sourcing and negotiating with potential business combination targets, (ii) provide business insights when we assess potential business combination targets and (iii) upon our request, provide business insights as we work to create additional value in the businesses that we acquire. However, we have no formal agreement with our Special Advisors and they will not be under any fiduciary obligations to us. They will not perform board or committee functions, nor will they have any voting or decision-making capacity on our behalf. Additionally, our Special Advisors have no other employment or compensation arrangements with us. Moreover, our Special Advisors will also not be required to devote any specific amount of time to our efforts. Accordingly, if our advisors become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the entities to which he has fiduciary or contractual obligations, they may be required to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We may modify or expand our roster of advisors as we source potential business combination targets or create value in businesses that we may acquire.
Prior Experience with Blank Check Companies
Our management team and board members possess extensive experience in sponsoring and operating blank check companies, having served on the board or on the management team of various blank check companies as follows:
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. (Nasdaq: ATII) completed its initial public offering in February 2025, issuing 23,000,000 units, which included the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in the amount of 3,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $230,000,000. Each unit consisted of one ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. Dr. Eric R. Ball serves as the Chairman of the Board and Long Long serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a director. Archimedes II is currently in the process of seeking a business combination target.
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners Co. completed its initial public offering in March 2021 and completed its merger with SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) in April 2022; the merger raised $111 million through a common-equity private placement at $10.00 per share and approximately 96% of the public shares were redeemed in connection with the merger. Eric R. Ball served as Chairman of the Board of Archimedes I. from 2021 until the consummation of its business combination with SoundHound AI, Inc. in April 2022. Dr. Ball remains as a Board member and is currently serving as its Audit Chair. Long Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Archimedes I and Daniel L. Sheehan served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2021 until the consummation of its business combination.
Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. completed its initial public offering in December 2020 and was not able to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame, thus the company liquidated its trust account and returned all trust proceeds to holders of its public shares in August 2022. Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Ackrell SPAC Partners I Co. from 2019 to 2022. Mr. Sheehan served as a director from 2020 to 2022.
Global SPAC Partners Co. completed its initial public offering in April 2021 and completed its merger with Gorilla Technology Group (Nasdaq: GRRR) in July 2022 where approximately 90% of the public shares were redeemed in connection with the company’s extensions and merger. Mr. Long served as Chief Financial Officer of Global SPAC Partners Co. until the consummation of its business combination.
Twelve Seas Investment Company completed its initial public offering in June 2018 and completed its merger with Brooge Energy Limited in December 2019 where approximately 82% of the public shares was redeemed in connection with the merger. Mr. Long served as Vice President of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, sponsor of Twelve Seas Investment Company, from 2017 to 2019.
Other than as set forth above, none of our sponsor, officers or directors has had any experience in organizing and managing special purpose acquisition companies.
NUMBER, TERMS OF OFFICE AND APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect that our board of directors will consist of [4] members.
Approval of our initial business combination will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the shareholders, prior to our initial business combination, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board of directors.
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 persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, a Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The Nasdaq listing rules 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 that, 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 or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have three “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board has determined that each of Messrs. Ball, Sheehan and Pai is an independent director under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
OFFICER AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
None of our directors or officers have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor may, however, use a portion of the administrative services fee to compensate one or more of our officers for services rendered to us following the closing of the IPO but prior to the business combination. In addition, our sponsor, directors and officers, 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 will review and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other compensation from the combined company. All compensation 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 business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers after the completion of our initial business combination will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.
We are not party to any agreements with our directors and officers that provide for benefits upon termination of employment. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, and we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination should be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee; a compensation committee; and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Subject to phase-in rules, the Nasdaq listing rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and Nasdaq listing rules require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board of directors and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee will be available on our website following the closing of this offering.
Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. The members of our audit committee will be Eric R. Ball, Daniel Sheehan and Vishwesh Pai. Mr. Ball will serve as chair of the audit committee.
Each member of the audit committee is financially literate, and our board of directors has determined that [●] qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the purpose and principal functions of the audit committee, including:
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● |
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; |
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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; |
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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; |
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reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; |
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setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
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setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
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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 audit 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; |
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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 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; |
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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 |
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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
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Eric R. Ball, Daniel Sheehan and Vishwesh Pai. Mr. Ball will serve as chair of the compensation committee. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibility of the compensation committee, including:
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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 based on such evaluation; |
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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; |
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reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
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implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
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assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
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approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees; |
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producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and |
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reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
The charter will also provide 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 Nasdaq and the SEC.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be Eric R. Ball, Daniel Sheehan and Vishwesh Pai. Mr. Ball will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. We will adopt a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:
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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 will also provide 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.
CLAWBACK POLICY
We will adopt a compensation recovery policy that is compliant with Nasdaq listing rules as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Prior to the closing of this offering, we will adopt a code of conduct, or our Code of Conduct, applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our form of our Code of Conduct as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on our website. In addition, a copy of our Code of Conduct will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Conduct in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Our officers and directors presently have and may in the future have additional competing fiduciary and other duties to other enterprises, and opportunities presented to them may not be presented to us as a result of such conflicts. Additionally, our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business, including other blank check companies that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to our company. Also, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers are not prohibited from sponsoring, investing in or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies (including special purpose acquisition companies similar to our company (in addition to Archimedes II)), including in connection with their initial business combinations, prior to us completing our initial business combination. Potential investors should also be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:
|
● |
Our directors and officers 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 responsibilities. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Sponsor and Management Team and Their Respective Affiliates — Our directors and officers 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 initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to its founder shares and private shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our initial shareholders, or any of our directors, officers or affiliates acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the completion window. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private units will be worthless. Pursuant to a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us, with certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, the date 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 ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after our initial business combination or (2) if we complete a transaction after our initial business combination which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. Since our initial shareholders, directors and officers may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, 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. |
|
● |
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms written agreements entered into with us, to vote any founder shares and public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. |
|
● |
Our directors and officers may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. 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 to proceed with a particular business combination. |
|
● |
In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Specifically, some of our officers and directors are also officers and directors of Archimedes II. |
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
As a result of multiple business affiliations, our directors and officers have now and may have in the future similar legal obligations to other companies that may require them to present business opportunities to those companies. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our directors and officers currently have such duties:
|
Individual |
Entity |
Entity’s Business |
Affiliation/Title |
|||
|
Long Long |
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. |
special purpose acquisition company |
CEO and Board Member |
|||
|
Ming (K.M.) Chan |
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. |
special purpose acquisition company |
Head of Finance and Operations |
|||
|
Ben Landen |
Superposition Venture Partners |
venture capital firm |
Managing Director |
|||
|
Eric R. Ball |
SoundHound AI, Inc. |
voice AI and speech recognition company |
Board Member |
|||
|
Impact Venture Capital |
venture capital firm |
General Partner |
||||
|
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. |
special purpose acquisition company |
Chairman |
||||
|
Daniel L. Sheehan |
Silicon Valley Wealth Law |
law firm |
Managing Partner |
|||
|
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. |
special purpose acquisition company |
CFO |
||||
|
Vishwesh Pai |
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. | special purpose acquisition company | Director | |||
| Atlassian | software development company | Head of Product | ||||
| Alphatron Capital | venture capital firm | Partner |
If any of our directors or officers become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for another entity to whom they owe fiduciary or contractual duties (including, without limitation, Archimedes II), he or she may need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. As a result, Archimedes II may be given priority over us with respect to business combination opportunities, and our officers and/or directors may have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved and could have additional conflicts in the future. 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. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Sponsor and Management Team and Their Respective Affiliates — Certain of our initial shareholders, directors and officers are now, and all of them may become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.”
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our initial shareholders, directors or officers; accordingly, such affiliated person(s) 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 and in negotiating or accepting the terms of the transaction as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public shareholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our initial shareholders, directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
In addition, our initial shareholders or any of their affiliates may make additional investments in the company in connection with the initial business combination, although our initial shareholders and their affiliates have no obligation or current intention to do so. If our initial shareholders or any of their affiliates elects to make additional investments, such proposed investments could influence our initial shareholder’s motivation to complete an initial business combination.
In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur out-of-pocket expenses on our behalf in connection with an initial business combination, such persons 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 as such loans may not be repaid and/or such expenses may not be reimbursed unless we consummate such business combination.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
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 civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will 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 will enter into indemnity agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also will permit us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any officer or director who at the request of the Company is or was serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity, whether or not the company has or would have had the power to indemnify the person against the liability as provided in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We will purchase 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.
These provisions may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against 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 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 directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, 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 directors and officers; and |
|
● |
all our directors and officers as a group. |
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 warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
The post-offering ownership percentage column below assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our initial shareholders forfeit 750,000 founder shares, and that there are 25,580,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.
|
Before Offering |
After Offering |
|||||||||||||||
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Number of |
Approximate Outstanding Shares |
Number of |
Approximate Outstanding Shares |
||||||||||||
|
Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC(2) |
5,750,000 | 100 | % | 5,330,000 | 20.8 | % | ||||||||||
|
Ming Chan |
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
Ben Landen |
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
Long Long(2) |
5,750,000 | 100 | % | 5,330,000 | 20.8 | % | ||||||||||
|
Daniel L. Sheehan |
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| Eric R. Ball | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
Vishwesh Pai |
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
All directors, director nominees and executive officers as a group ([5] individuals) |
5,750,000 | 100 | % | 5,330,000 | 20.8 | % | ||||||||||
|
* |
Less than one percent. |
|
(1) |
Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co., 2093 Philadelphia Pike #1968, Claymont, DE 19703. |
|
(2) |
Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of the shares reported herein. Long Long is the managing member of the sponsor and has voting and dispositive power over the shares owned by the sponsor. Mr. Long disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest he may have therein, directly or indirectly. |
Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (not including the private units and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering). In addition, because of their 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.
SPONSOR OWNERSHIP
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of interests in Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC, our sponsor, by members of our management team and each person who is the beneficial owner of more than 5% of its membership interests. The following table assumes that the underwriter’s over-allotment option has not been exercised. No other person has a direct or indirect material interest in our sponsor:
|
Name of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Approximate Percentage of Membership Interests Before Offering |
Approximate Percentage of Membership Interests After Offering |
||||||
|
Eric R. Ball |
19.0 |
% | 13.8 | % | ||||
|
Long Long |
19.0 |
% | 13.8 | % | ||||
|
Ming Chan |
3.5 | % | 3.8 | % | ||||
|
Ben Landen |
9.5 | % | 6.9 | % | ||||
|
Daniel L. Sheehan |
19.0 |
% | 13.8 | % | ||||
|
Vishwesh Pai |
0.9 | % | 0.9 | % | ||||
|
(1) |
Long Long, our Chief Executive Officer and director, controls the management of the sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by the sponsor. |
PRIVATE UNITS
Our sponsor and BTIG have committed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 private units (330,000 private units by the sponsor and 250,000 private units by BTIG), or 640,000 private units (330,000 private units by the sponsor and 310,000 private units by BTIG) if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the proceeds of the sale of the private units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private units will be worthless. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, except that they (including underlying securities) are entitled to registration rights, as described below.
The private warrants will be identical to the warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules.
Our initial shareholders and our directors and officers are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS OF FOUNDER SHARES AND PRIVATE UNITS
The founder shares are subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreement with us to be entered into by our initial shareholders. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable until the earlier of (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, 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 ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family or 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 the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) transfers by private sales or transfers made in connection with consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to our completion of our initial business combination; (g) to the members of our sponsor by virtue of the laws of Delaware or pursuant to the terms of our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement in the event of the liquidation or dissolution of our sponsor; (h) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; or (i) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (a) through (h) above; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) and (i) 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 agreement. In addition, we could agree to permit the holders of our founder shares to transfer shares or agree to cancel such securities. Although no such transfers or cancellations are contemplated, we could agree to permit such transfer or cancellation to facilitate the closing of a business combination. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after our initial business combination or (2) if we complete a transaction after our initial business combination which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. In addition, the limited liability company agreement of our sponsor provides that its membership interests may only be transferred to our officers or directors or other persons affiliated with our sponsor, or in connection with estate planning transfers.
In addition, the purchasers of the private units have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units, including the underlying securities (except in connection with the same limited exceptions that the founder shares may be transferred as described above), until after the completion of our initial business combination.
Assuming no liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction takes place, lock-ups on securities owned by our initial shareholders would expire as follows:
|
Founder Shares |
Private Units |
|
|
six months after completion of our initial business combination, subject to early release at specified share prices |
upon completion of our initial business combination |
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the representative, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, ordinary shares, warrants or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares, subject to certain exceptions. The representative in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
The holders of the founder shares, private units (and underlying securities) and any units (and underlying securities) that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale. The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration 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 and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period as described under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8), the registration rights granted to the underwriters are limited to demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of this prospectus with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the private units and the underlying securities.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On August 1, 2025, our sponsor purchased 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. Our sponsor or our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares after this offering (not including the private units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering or in the after-market). Up to 750,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
Our sponsor and BTIG have committed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 private units (or 640,000 private units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private unit will consist of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our directors and officers currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
We have entered into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which we have agreed to pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. 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 24 months, our sponsor or an affiliate thereof will be paid a total of $480,000 ($20,000 per month) for office space, administrative and support services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. Our audit committee will review and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note, as amended, to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of August 15, 2025, we have borrowed $37,420 under such promissory note. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of June 30, 2026 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has 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 corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee. 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 of any and all rights to seek access to funds in our 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 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 officer and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private units (and underlying securities) and units (and underlying securities) issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
In addition, although there are no current plans to do so, in order to facilitate our initial business combination or a PIPE financing or for any other reason determined by our sponsor in its sole discretion, our sponsor may surrender or forfeit, transfer or exchange our founder shares, private shares, private warrants or any of our other securities, including for no consideration, as well as subject any such securities to earn-outs or other restrictions, or otherwise amend the terms of any such securities or enter into any other arrangements with respect to any such securities.
RELATED PARTY POLICY
We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we will adopt our Code of Conduct requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board of directors) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our Code of Conduct, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company. A form of the Code of Conduct that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. Our audit committee will review and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, prior to consummating an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, there will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
|
● |
Repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
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Payment to our sponsor or an affiliate thereof of $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services; |
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and |
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Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units, at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. |
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which, with certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our directors and officers and other persons or entities affiliated with our initial shareholders, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, the date 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 ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after our initial business combination or (2) if we complete a transaction after our initial business combination which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property.
The above payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our authorised share capital will consist of 400,000,000 ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each, and 1,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes the material terms of our share capital. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
UNITS
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
The ordinary shares and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into ordinary shares and warrants. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
In no event will the ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet of the company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering which will include this audited balance sheet. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
ORDINARY SHARES
Upon the closing of this offering 25,580,000 ordinary shares will be issued and outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 750,000 founder shares by our initial shareholders), including:
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5,000,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders; |
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20,000,000 ordinary shares underlying the units being offered in this offering; and |
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580,000 ordinary shares underlying the private units. |
Holders of record of ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class, except as required by law.
Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of other certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law and/or pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 400,000,000 ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq 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 Nasdaq.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (2) 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (3) 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 laws to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial shareholders have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and private shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our initial shareholders or any of our directors, officers or affiliates 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 prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders at such time will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
FOUNDER SHARES
The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that: (1) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions contained in a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us, as described in more detail below; (2) pursuant to such letter agreement, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to waive: (i) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (iii) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window); and (3) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination.
Pursuant to a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us, with certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our directors and officers and other persons or entities affiliated with our initial shareholders, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, the date 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 ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after our initial business combination or (2) if we complete a transaction after our initial business combination which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property.
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:
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the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member; |
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whether voting rights are attached to the share in issue; |
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the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and |
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the date on which any person ceased to be a member. |
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e., the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
PREFERENCE SHARES
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize 1,000,000 preference shares and will provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors are authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors is able to, without shareholder approval, issue preference shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preference shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preference shares issued and outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preference shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preference shares are being issued or registered in this offering.
WARRANTS
Public Shareholders’ Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering or 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or our liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will 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 is available. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the ordinary share underlying such unit.
The registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part does not register the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will agree that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination or any time thereafter, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. In the case of a cashless exercise, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the lesser of the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (as defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” as used in this paragraph shall mean the average reported closing price for the five trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to holders of the warrants.
The private warrants, as well as any warrants underlying additional units we issue to our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be identical to the warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules.
Redemption of Warrants
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption:
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in whole and not in part; |
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at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
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upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and |
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if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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 we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are issued and outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the ordinary shares for the five trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination.
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which the holder or its affiliates is a member would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as the holder may specify) of the ordinary shares issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-Dilution Adjustments
If the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares is increased by a capitalization payable in ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a capitalization of a number of ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for ordinary shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per ordinary share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are issued and outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of ordinary shares on account of such ordinary shares (or other ordinary shares into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends of not greater than $0.10 per share per annum (subject to adjustment), (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association 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 ordinary shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each ordinary share in respect of such event.
If the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reclassification or similar event, the number of ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
Whenever the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another entity in which any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the securities, or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of our ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. 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, or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, but with respect to any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants, requires the approval by the holders of at least (i) a majority of the then issued and outstanding public warrants if such modification or amendment is being undertaken prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of a business combination or (ii) a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private warrants) if such modification or amendment is being undertaken after the consummation of a business combination.
In addition, if (x) 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 ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (y) 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 on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the Market Value 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 $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by good certified check payable to the order of the warrant agent or by wire transfer, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive ordinary shares. After the issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of ordinary shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. 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 ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. Unless, if by reason of any adjustment described above, the holder of warrants would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round up to the nearest whole the number of ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement 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 we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors — Our warrant agreement will designate 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.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, this provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or 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. We note that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision, and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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, subject to applicable law, 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. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
OUR TRANSFER AGENT AND WARRANT AGENT
The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants is Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
CERTAIN DIFFERENCES IN CORPORATE LAW
Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Act. The Companies Act is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Act allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of two-thirds of the voting shares voted at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company if a copy of the plan of merger is provided to every member of each subsidiary company to be merged unless that such member agrees otherwise. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. The directors of each company are required to provide a declaration of the assets and liabilities of the company made up to the latest practicable date before the making of the declaration, and are further required to make a declaration to the effect that: (i) the company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidation is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the company; (ii) no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding and that no order has been made or resolution adopted to wind up the company in any jurisdiction; (iii) no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the company are and continue to be suspended or restricted; (v) in the case of constituent company that is not a surviving company, the constituent company has retired from any fiduciary office held or will do so immediately prior to the merger or consolidation; and (vi) where relevant, the company has complied with any applicable requirements under Cayman Islands regulatory laws. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Act (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted; and (v) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (iv) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Act provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; and (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures for which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by (a) in respect of creditor compromises or arrangements, a majority in number of each class of creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of creditors that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at an annual general meeting, or an extraordinary general meeting, summoned for that purpose or (b) in respect of shareholder compromises or arrangements, shareholders representing three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at an annual general meeting, or an extraordinary general meeting, summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:
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we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with; |
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the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question; |
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the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and |
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the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.” |
If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights (providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares), which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer relates within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through means other than these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, or through contractual arrangements of an operating business.
Shareholders’ Suits. Walkers (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
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a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority; |
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the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or |
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those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.” |
A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed or where the directors have exercised their powers for an improper purpose.
Enforcement of Civil Liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by Walkers (Cayman) LLP, 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, and 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.
Special Considerations for Exempted Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
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an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies; |
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an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection; |
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an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
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an exempted company may issue shares with no par value; |
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an exempted company may obtain a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall 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 shall 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 such company; |
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an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
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an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and |
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an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such amendment. Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with any such amendment. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:
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prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a general meeting called for such purpose at which public shareholders may seek to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they abstain, vote for, vote against, or vote at all with respect to the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals); or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to tender their public shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, including interest (net of permitted withdrawals), in each case subject to the limitations described herein; |
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we will consummate our initial business combination only with the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding a simple majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company; |
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if we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and subsequently 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; |
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prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account; or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and |
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so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more business combinations that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. |
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such general meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such general meeting.
Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of shareholders holding of a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders.
Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing, Prevention of Proliferation Financing and Financial Sanctions Compliance — Cayman Islands
If any person in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or money laundering or is involved with terrorism or terrorist/proliferation financing and property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority (“FRA”) of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering, or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the FRA, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise. We reserve the right to refuse to make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing and financial sanctions or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
Should a shareholder or its duly authorized delegates or agents be, or become (or is believed by the company or its affiliates (“Agents”) to be or become) at any time while it owns or holds an interest in the company, (a) an individual or entity named on any sanctions list maintained by the United Kingdom (including as extended to the Cayman Islands by Orders in Council) or the Cayman Islands or any similar list maintained under applicable law or is otherwise subject to applicable sanctions in the Cayman Islands (a “Sanctions Subject”) or (b) an entity owned or controlled directly or indirectly by a Sanctions Subject, as determined by the company in its sole discretion, then (i) the company or its Agents may immediately and without notice to the shareholder cease any further dealings with the shareholder or freeze any dealings with the interests or accounts of the shareholder (e.g., by prohibiting payments by or to the shareholder or restricting or suspending dealings with the interests or accounts) or freeze the assets of the company (including interests or accounts of other shareholders who are not Sanctions Subjects), until the relevant person ceases to be a Sanctions Subject or a license is obtained under applicable law to continue such dealings (a “Sanctioned Persons Event”), (ii) the company and its Agents may be required to report such action or failure to comply with information requests and to disclose the shareholder’s identity (and/or the identity of the shareholder’s beneficial owners and control persons) to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the Cayman Islands Financial Reporting Authority, or other applicable governmental or regulatory authorities (without notifying the Subscriber that such information has been so provided) and (iii) the company and its Agents have no liability whatsoever for any liabilities, costs, expenses, damages and/or losses (including but not limited to any direct, indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of reputation and all interest, penalties and legal costs and all other professional costs and expenses) incurred by the shareholder as a result of a Sanctioned Persons Event.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual general meetings.
Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Data Protection in the Cayman Islands — Privacy Notice
We have certain duties under the Data Protection Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, as amended from time to time and any regulations, codes of practice or orders promulgated pursuant thereto (“DPA”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.
This privacy notice explains the manner in which the company collects, processes and maintains personal data about investors of the company pursuant to the DPA.
The company is committed to processing personal data in accordance with the DPA. In its use of personal data, the company will be characterized under the DPA as a ‘data controller’, whilst certain of the company’s service providers, affiliates and delegates may act as ‘data processors’ under the DPA. These service providers may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to the company.
This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that, by virtue of making an investment in the company, the company and certain of the company’s service providers may collect, record, store, transfer and otherwise process certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPA (“personal data”) by which individuals may be directly or indirectly identified.
Your personal data will be processed fairly and for lawful purposes, including (a) where the processing is necessary for the company to perform a contract to which you are a party or for taking pre-contractual steps at your request (b) where the processing is necessary for compliance with any legal, tax or regulatory obligation to which the company is subject, (c) where the processing is for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by the company or by a service provider to whom the data are disclosed, or (d) where you otherwise consent to the processing of personal data for any other specific purpose. As a data controller, we will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will contact you.
We anticipate that we will share your personal data with the company’s service providers for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. We may also share relevant personal data where it is lawful to do so and necessary to comply with our contractual obligations or your instructions or where it is necessary or desirable to do so in connection with any regulatory reporting obligations. In exceptional circumstances, we will share your personal data with regulatory, prosecuting and other governmental agencies or departments, and parties to litigation (whether pending or threatened), in any country or territory including to any other person where we have a public or legal duty to do so (e.g. to assist with detecting and preventing fraud, tax evasion and financial crime or compliance with a court order).
Your personal data shall not be held by the company for longer than necessary with regard to the purposes of the data processing.
We will not sell your personal data. Any transfer of personal data outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPA. Where necessary, we will ensure that separate and appropriate legal agreements are put in place with the recipient of that data.
The company will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPA, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.
If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to you for any reason in relation to your investment into the company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should inform such individuals of the content.
You have certain rights under the DPA, including (a) the right to be informed as to how we collect and use your personal data (and this privacy notice fulfils the company’s obligation in this respect) (b) the right to obtain a copy of your personal data (c) the right to require us to stop direct marketing (d) the right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected (e) the right to withdraw your consent and require us to stop processing or restrict the processing, or not begin the processing of your personal data (f) the right to be notified of a data breach (unless the breach is unlikely to be prejudicial) (g) the right to obtain information as to any countries or territories outside the Cayman Islands to which we, whether directly or indirectly, transfer, intend to transfer or wish to transfer your personal data, general measures we take to ensure the security of personal data and any information available to us as to the source of your personal data (h) the right to complain to the Office of the Ombudsman of the Cayman Islands and (i) the right to require us to delete your personal data in some limited circumstances.
If you do not wish to provide us with requested personal data or subsequently withdraw your consent, you may not be able to invest in the Company or remain invested in the Company as it will affect the Company’s ability to manage your investment.
If you consider that your personal data has not been handled correctly, or you are not satisfied with the company’s responses to any requests you have made regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Cayman Islands’ Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can be contacted by email at info@ombudsman.ky or by accessing their website here: ombudsman.ky.
SECURITIES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering we will have 25,580,000 (or 29,390,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Of these shares, the 20,000,000 ordinary shares (or 23,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 5,000,000 founder shares (or 5,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), all 580,000 private shares (or 640,000 private shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), and any of the up to 150,000 shares underlying conversion units that may be issued upon conversion of loans made by affiliates of the sponsor are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and are subject to applicable transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus.
RULE 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (1) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (2) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
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1% of the total number of ordinary shares then issued and outstanding, which will equal 255,800 shares immediately after this offering (or 293,900 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full; or |
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the average weekly reported trading volume of the ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF RULE 144 BY SHELL COMPANIES OR FORMER SHELL COMPANIES
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
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the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
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the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
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the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and |
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at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
As a result, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private shares, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration, one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
The holders of the founder shares, private units (and underlying securities) and any units (and underlying securities) that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our ordinary shares). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration 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 and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period as described under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
LISTING OF SECURITIES
We intend to apply to list our units, ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq under the symbols “ARCIU,” “ARCI” and “ARCIW,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq promptly on or after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date our ordinary shares and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the ordinary shares and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq.
The following summary of certain Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our units, each consisting of one ordinary share and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant, which we refer to collectively as our securities, is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary shares and warrants, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Prospective investors should consult their advisors on the possible tax consequences of investing in our securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.
Cayman Islands Tax Considerations
The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in the securities of the company. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.
Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporate tax. The Cayman Islands currently has no income, corporate or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our ordinary shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of such shares.
The company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and received an undertaking from the Government of the Cayman Islands in the following form:
The Tax Concessions Act
(As Revised)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the provision of Section 6 of The Tax Concessions Act (As Revised), the following undertaking is hereby given to Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. (the “Company”):
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That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and |
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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 shall be payable: |
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on or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or |
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by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised). |
These concessions shall be for a period of 30 years from August 5, 2025.
MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion summarizes certain United States federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units (each consisting of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant) that are purchased in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our securities, by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below).
Because the components of a unit are generally separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for United States federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying ordinary share or warrant components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to holders of ordinary shares and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying ordinary shares and warrants that constitute the units).
This discussion is limited to certain United States federal income tax considerations to beneficial owners of our securities who are initial purchasers of a unit pursuant to this offering and hold the unit and each component of the unit as a capital asset under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This discussion assumes that the ordinary shares and warrants will trade separately and that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our ordinary shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars. This discussion is a summary only and does not consider all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be relevant to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of a unit by a prospective investor in light of its particular circumstances, including:
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our founders, the sponsor, officers or directors; |
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financial institutions or financial services entities; |
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broker-dealers; |
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taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market tax accounting rules; |
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S Corporations; |
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tax-exempt entities; |
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individual retirement accounts or other tax deferred accounts; |
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governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof; |
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insurance companies; |
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regulated investment companies; |
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real estate investment trusts; |
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expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States; |
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persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares or five percent or more of the total value of our shares; |
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persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation or in connection with services; |
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persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction; |
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persons required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to ordinary shares or warrants as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement; |
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U.S. Holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
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controlled foreign corporations; or |
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passive foreign investment companies. |
Moreover, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof, and such provisions may be repealed, revoked, modified or subject to differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis, so as to result in United States federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. Furthermore, this discussion does not address any aspect of United States federal non-income tax laws, such as alternative minimum gift, estate or Medicare contribution tax laws, or state, local or non-U.S. tax laws.
We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to any United States federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not change the accuracy of the statements in this discussion.
As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of units, ordinary shares or warrants who or that is, for United States federal income tax purposes:
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an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
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a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
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an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
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a trust if (A) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (B) it has in effect a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person. |
This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of entities or arrangements treated as partnerships or other pass-through entities or persons who hold our securities through such entities or arrangements. If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the United States federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Partnerships holding our securities and partners in such partnerships are urged to consult their own tax advisors.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX TREATMENT OF THE PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES MAY BE AFFECTED BY MATTERS NOT DISCUSSED HEREIN AND DEPENDS IN SOME INSTANCES ON DETERMINATION OF FACT AND INTERPRETATIONS OF COMPLEX PROVISIONS OF UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAW FOR WHICH NO CLEAR PRECEDENT OR AUTHORITY MAY BE AVAILABLE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL NON-INCOME TAX LAWS AND ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AS WELL AS UNDER ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for United States federal income tax purposes, and therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant, a whole one of which is exercisable to acquire one ordinary share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. We intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner and, by purchasing a unit, you must adopt such treatment for United States federal income tax purposes. For United States federal income and other applicable tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one ordinary share and the one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under United States federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of such value based on all the facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult its tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each ordinary share and one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant should be the shareholder’s tax basis in such share or warrant. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the ordinary share or one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the ordinary share or one-fourth (1/4) of one redeemable warrant based on their relative fair market values at the time of disposition (as determined by each such holder based on all the facts and circumstances).
The foregoing treatment of the units, ordinary shares and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. If the IRS or a court were to determine that, contrary to the characterization described above, a unit is a single instrument for United States federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences to an investor could be materially different than those described below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units (and the components thereof) and any allocation of purchase price of a unit as described above is respected for United States federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income, in accordance with such U.S. Holder’s method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes, as dividends the amount of any distribution of cash or other property paid on our ordinary shares to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under United States federal income tax principles). Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such ordinary shares. In the event that we do not maintain calculations of our earnings and profits under United States federal income tax principles, a U.S. Holder should expect that all distributions will be reported as dividends for United States federal income tax purposes.
Dividends paid by us out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits as described above generally will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, under tax laws currently in effect and subject to certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), dividends generally will be treated as “qualified dividend income” and taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below) only if our ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, the Company is not treated as a PFIC at the time the dividend was paid or in the preceding year and certain other requirements are met (including with respect to holding period). It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of such lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our ordinary shares.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants (including on our dissolution and liquidation if we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period). Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such ordinary shares or warrants exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. If the running of the holding period is suspended, then non-corporate U.S. Holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at ordinary income rates.
The amount of gain or loss recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the ordinary shares or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the ordinary shares or warrants based upon the then fair market values of the ordinary shares and warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to an ordinary share or one-fourth (1/4) of one warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) reduced, in the case of an ordinary share by any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. Long-term capital gain realized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder is currently eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See “— Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s basis in an ordinary share acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant. The deduction of capital losses is subject to certain limitations. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of our securities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.
Redemption of Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for United States federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale or exchange of the ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale or exchange of ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption or purchase by us does not qualify as a sale of ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption or purchase by us qualifies for treatment as a sale or exchange will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any ordinary shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder described in the following paragraph) relative to all of our shares issued and outstanding both before and after such redemption or purchase. The redemption or purchase by us of ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if such redemption or purchase by us (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also our shares that are constructively owned by such U.S. Holder. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption or purchase by us of ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80 percent of the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption or purchase by us. Prior to our initial business combination, the ordinary shares might not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other of our shares and otherwise complies with specific conditions. The redemption or purchase by us of the ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such redemption or purchase by us results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption or purchase by us will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest generally will depend on the particular facts and circumstances applicable to such U.S. Holder. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption or purchase by us of any ordinary shares.
If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption or purchase by us of any ordinary shares will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “Taxation of Distributions” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares. If there are no remaining shares, a U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the allocation of any remaining tax basis. U.S. Holders who actually or constructively own five percent (5%) (or, if the ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent (1%)) or more of the ordinary shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of ordinary shares, and such U.S. Holders are urged to consult with their own tax advisers with respect to their reporting requirements.
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in an ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (that is, the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary share will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for United States federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise were not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary share will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrants.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise would be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder may be deemed to have surrendered warrants with an aggregate value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants deemed exercised. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, the U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between exercise price for the total number of warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such warrants. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrants deemed exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.
Due to the absence of authority on the United States federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition with respect to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants.”
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities — Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases such U.S. Holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property such as other securities to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such ordinary shares as described under “— Taxation of Distributions” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of the increase in the interest and generally would increase the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants to the extent that such distribution is treated as a dividend.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of assets giving rise to passive income.
Because we are a blank check company, with no current active operating business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. However, pursuant to a startup exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the “startup year”), if (i) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (ii) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the startup year; and (iii) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the startup exception to us will not be known until after the close of our current taxable year and, perhaps, until the end of our two taxable years following our startup year (within the meaning of the startup exception). Further, after the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC (or we do not complete a business acquisition by the end of the first taxable year after the taxable year of our formation), then we will likely not qualify for the startup exception and will be a PFIC for our current taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (and, in the case of the startup exception to our current taxable year, perhaps not until after the end of our two taxable years following our startup year). Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
Although our PFIC status is determined annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held (or is deemed to have held) ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any shares or warrants and, in the case of our ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election or a mark-to-market election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) ordinary shares, as described below, such U.S. Holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its ordinary shares or warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of the ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares).
Under these rules:
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the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or warrants; |
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the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; |
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the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder; and |
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an additional amount equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the U.S. Holder with respect to the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder. |
In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may be able to avoid certain PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our ordinary shares (but not our warrants) by making and maintaining a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. A U.S. Holder generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to the warrants. However, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants for cash) and we were a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such warrants, any gain recognized generally will be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes and maintains a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired ordinary shares. Notwithstanding any such QEF election, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. Under another type of purging election, an electing U.S. Holder will be treated as having received as an excess distribution its ratable share of our earnings and profits determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In order for a U.S. Holder to make the second election, we must also be a “controlled foreign corporation” as defined in the Code, and there are no assurances that we will so qualify. As a result of either purging election, the U.S. Holder will generally have a new basis and holding period in the ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the applicability of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances.
The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed United States federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares, and the excess distribution rules discussed above do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no additional interest charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules. As discussed above, if we are a PFIC for any taxable year, a U.S. Holder of our ordinary shares that has made a QEF election will be currently taxed on its pro rata share of our earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for such year. A subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to such U.S. Holder. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. In addition, if we are not a PFIC for any taxable year, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to our ordinary shares for such a taxable year.
Alternatively, if a U.S. Holder, at the close of its taxable year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, the U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) ordinary shares in us and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect of its ordinary shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. Holder will include for each of its taxable years as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of such year over its adjusted basis in its ordinary shares. These amounts of ordinary income would not be eligible for the favorable tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains. The U.S. Holder also will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis of its ordinary shares over the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. Holder’s basis in its ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of its ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.
The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” generally, stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq (on which we intend to list the ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the ordinary shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. Upon written request we will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. There can be no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide such required information. A mark-to-market election generally would not be available with respect to such lower-tier PFIC. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our ordinary shares or warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our securities under their particular circumstances.
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement, and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. Specified foreign financial assets generally include any financial account maintained with a non-U.S. financial institution and should also include the ordinary shares and warrants if they are not held in an account maintained with a U.S. financial institution. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties, and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will generally be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Potential investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our ordinary shares and warrants.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. Holder.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, ordinary shares or warrants (other than a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. Federal income tax purposes) who or that is for United States federal income tax purposes:
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a non-resident alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates); |
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a foreign corporation; or |
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an estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder; |
but generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of the sale or other disposition of our securities.
Dividends (including constructive distributions treated as dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder in respect of our ordinary shares generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such Non-U.S. Holder maintains in the United States). If the dividend, despite being paid by a non-U.S. corporation, is deemed to be U.S. source under the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder), then withholding at a 30% rate applies, unless such tax rate is lowered by an applicable income tax treaty. In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such Non-U.S. Holder maintains in the United States).
Dividends (including constructive distributions treated as dividends) and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to United States federal income tax at the same regular United States federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate.
The characterization for United States federal income tax purposes of the redemption or purchase by us of a Non-U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares will generally correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption or purchase by us of a U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Redemption of Ordinary Shares” above, and the consequences of the redemption or purchase by us to the Non-U.S. Holder will be as described in the paragraphs above under the heading “— Non-U.S. Holders” based on such characterization. The United States federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder, generally will correspond to the United States federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. Holder’s gain on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares and warrants.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to our ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. U.S. Holders who are required to establish their exempt status may be required to provide such certification on IRS Form W-9. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s United States federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is included for general information only and may not be applicable depending upon a holder’s particular situation. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences to them of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares and warrants, including the tax consequences under state, local, estate, non-U.S. and other tax laws and tax treaties and the possible effects of changes in U.S. or other tax laws.
We are offering the units described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. BTIG, LLC is acting as representative of the underwriters. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, the number of units listed next to each of its name in the following table:
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Underwriters |
Number of |
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| BTIG, LLC | ||
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20,000,000 |
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must buy all of the units if they buy any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to purchase the units covered by the option to purchase additional units as described below.
Our units are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:
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receipt and acceptance of our units by the underwriters; and |
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the underwriters’ right to reject orders in whole or in part. |
In connection with this offering, the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Option To Purchase Additional Units
We have granted the underwriters an over-allotment option to buy up to an aggregate of 3,000,000 additional units. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
Underwriting Discount
Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Sales of units made outside of the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriters. After completion of this offering, if the underwriters still hold any units sold by us to them in this offering, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein.
The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting discount we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional units.
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No Exercise |
Full Exercise |
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Per Unit(1) |
$ |
0.55 |
$ |
0.55 |
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Total(1) |
$ |
11,000,000 |
$ |
12,650,000 |
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(1) |
$0.20 per unit sold in this offering, or $4,000,000 (or up to $4,600,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $7,000,000 (or $8,050,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination. The deferred commissions will be payable as follows: (i) $0.15 per unit sold in this offering will be paid to the underwriters in cash upon the closing of the initial business combination; (ii) up to $0.10 per unit sold in this offering will be paid to the underwriters in cash, based on the percentage of public shares outstanding immediately prior to the consummation of our initial business combination net of public shares submitted for redemption; and (iii) $0.10 per unit sold in this offering will be paid to the underwriters in cash (the “Allocable Amount”), provided that we have the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to reallocate any portion of the Allocable Amount to third parties not participating in this offering (but who are members of FINRA) that assist us in consummating the initial business combination. |
If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, BTIG has agreed that (i) it will forfeit any rights or claims to the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account and (ii) that the deferred underwriters’ discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) to the public shareholders.
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, not including the underwriting discount, will be approximately $800,000. We have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel and the expenses of investigations and background checks (not to exceed $4,000 per person for U.S. individuals and $5,000 for non-U.S. individuals), or an aggregate payment of up to $60,000 (of which $25,000 has been paid to date, to cover expenses), all of which are included in the total estimated expenses of $800,000.
Private units
BTIG has committed to purchase from us 250,000 private units (or 310,000 private units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) for a total purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $3,100,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. BTIG has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it will purchase from us an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 60,000 private units) necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except as described elsewhere in this prospectus. For so long as they are held by BTIG or its affiliates or associated persons, the private warrants will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA rules. The private units and underlying ordinary shares and warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Additionally, the private units purchased by BTIG may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a 180-day period following the effective date of this prospectus except to any selected dealer participating in the offering and the bona fide officers or partners of the underwriter and any such participating selected dealer. BTIG has agreed that the private units they purchase will not be sold or transferred (except to certain permitted transferees) until after we have completed an initial business combination. We have granted the holders of private units, including BTIG, the registration rights as described under the section “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.” In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8), the registration rights granted to BTIG are limited to demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of this prospectus with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the private units and the underlying securities.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we have agreed to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
Nasdaq Listing
We intend to apply to list our units on Nasdaq under the symbol “ARCIU” and, once the ordinary shares and warrants begin separate trading, they are expected to be listed under the symbols “ARCI” and “ARCIW,” respectively.
Price Stabilization, Short Positions
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of units during and after this offering, including:
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stabilizing transactions; |
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short sales; |
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purchases to cover positions created by short sales; |
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imposition of penalty bids; and |
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syndicate covering transactions. |
Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units while this offering is in progress. Stabilization transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. These transactions may also include making short sales of our units, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of units than they are required to purchase in this offering and purchasing units on the open market to cover short positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of that amount.
The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option, in whole or in part, or by purchasing units in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the over-allotment option.
Naked short sales are short sales made in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the representative of the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representative has repurchased units sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.
These stabilizing transactions, short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales, the imposition of penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units. As a result of these activities, the price of our units may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the units. Neither we, nor the underwriters, make any representation that the underwriter will engage in these stabilization transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
Determination of Offering Price
Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our units. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiation between us and the representative of the underwriters. The principal factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price include:
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the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to the representative; |
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our history and prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete; |
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our past and present financial performance; |
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our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our development; |
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the general condition of the securities market at the time of this offering; |
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the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded units of generally comparable companies; and |
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other factors deemed relevant by the underwriters and us. |
Neither we nor the underwriters can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for our units, warrants or ordinary shares or that the units will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price.
Affiliations
BTIG and its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. BTIG and its affiliates may from time to time in the future engage with us and perform services for us or in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive customary fees and expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of us. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of these securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in these securities and instruments.
Additional Future Arrangements
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering and have no present intent to do so. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to any underwriter prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the Internet sites or through other online services maintained by the underwriters participating in this offering, or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and, depending upon the particular underwriter, prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of units for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
Resale Restrictions
We intend to distribute our securities in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Offering Jurisdiction”) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a “reporting issuer”, as such term is defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
A Canadian purchaser will be required to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
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the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws; |
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where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; |
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the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and |
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the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information. |
Rights of Action — Ontario Purchasers Only
Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
A majority of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Collection of Personal Information
If a Canadian purchaser is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSC’s indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 5520, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416) 593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”) and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “relevant member state”), with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that relevant member state (the “relevant implementation date”), an offer of units described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that relevant member state prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units that has been approved by the competent authority in that relevant member state or, where appropriate, approved in another relevant member state and notified to the competent authority in that relevant member state, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that, with effect from and including the relevant implementation date, an offer of our units may be made to the public in that relevant member state at any time:
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to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; |
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to fewer than 100, or, if the relevant member state has implemented the relevant provisions of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by the issuer for any such offer; or natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined below) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter for any such offer; or |
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in any other circumstances that do not require the publication by us of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. |
Each purchaser of units described in this prospectus located within a relevant member state will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a “qualified investor” within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purpose of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the units, as the expression may be varied in that member state by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that member state, and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the PD 2010 Amending Directive to the extent implemented by the relevant member state) and includes any relevant implementing measure in each relevant member state, and the expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the units as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the units, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the units on behalf of us or the underwriters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the shares have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as a “relevant person”). The units are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase or otherwise acquire such units will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
Notice to Prospective Investors in France
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers or by the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The units have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units has been or will be:
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released, issued, distributed or caused to be released, issued or distributed to the public in France; or |
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used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of the units to the public in France. |
Such offers, sales and distributions will be made in France only:
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to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) and/or to a restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with, Article L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier; |
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to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or |
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in a transaction that, in accordance with article L.411-2-II-1°-or-2°-or 3° of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations (Règlement Général) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, does not constitute a public offer (appel public à l’épargne). |
The units may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The units may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.
Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person that is:
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a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 14A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, or |
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a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except: |
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to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than $200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; |
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where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or |
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where the transfer is by operation of law. |
Cayman Islands
This document does not constitute a public offer of, or an invitation to the public to purchase, units, warrants or ordinary shares in the company, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the Cayman Islands. Units, warrants and ordinary shares have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the Cayman Islands.
Loeb & Loeb LLP is acting as United States counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act and will pass on the validity of the warrants offered in the prospectus. Legal matters as to Cayman Islands law, as well as the validity of the issuance of the ordinary shares offered in this prospectus, will be passed upon for us by Walkers (Cayman) LLP. In connection with this offering, White & Case LLP is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
The financial statements of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. as of August 15, 2025 and for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Withum Smith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. to continue as a going concern as discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
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Financial Statements of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co.: |
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Statement of Operations for the Period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025 |
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Statement of Cash Flows for the Period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025 |
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholder and the Board of Directors of
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. (the “Company”) as of August 15, 2025, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity, and cash flows for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025, 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 August 15, 2025, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern Uncertainty
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company does not have sufficient cash and working capital to sustain its operations and the Company’s ability to execute its business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 1 to the financial statements. 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. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the "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 audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit 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 audit, 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 audit 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 audit 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 audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Withum Smith + Brown, PC
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2025.
New York, New York
October 7, 2025
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
BALANCE SHEET
AUGUST 15, 2025
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ASSETS |
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Current assets – prepaid expenses |
$ | 25,000 | ||
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Deferred offering costs |
31,195 | |||
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TOTAL ASSETS |
$ | 56,195 | ||
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LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY |
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Current Liabilities: |
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Accrued expenses |
$ | 4,094 | ||
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Accrued offering costs |
6,195 | |||
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Promissory note – related party |
37,420 | |||
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TOTAL LIABILITIES |
47,709 | |||
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Commitments and contingencies (Note 6) |
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SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY |
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Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
— | |||
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Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 400,000,000 shares authorized; 5,750,000 shares issued and outstanding(1) |
575 | |||
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Additional paid-in capital |
24,425 | |||
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Accumulated deficit |
(16,514 | ) | ||
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TOTAL SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY |
8,486 | |||
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TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY |
$ | 56,195 |
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(1) |
Includes an aggregate of 750,000 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters (Note 5). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 1, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH AUGUST 15, 2025
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General and administrative expenses |
$ | 16,514 | ||
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Net loss |
$ | (16,514 | ) | |
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Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) |
5,000,000 | |||
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Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share |
$ | (0.00 | ) |
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(1) |
Excludes an aggregate of 750,000 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters (Note 5). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 1, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH AUGUST 15, 2025
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Ordinary Shares |
Additional |
Accumulated |
Total |
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Shares |
Amount |
Capital |
Deficit |
Equity |
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Balance – August 1, 2025 (inception) |
— | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||||
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Issuance of Ordinary shares to Sponsor(1) |
5,750,000 | 575 | 24,425 | — | 25,000 | |||||||||||||||
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Net loss |
— | — | — | (16,514 | ) | (16,514 | ) | |||||||||||||
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Balance – August 15, 2025 |
5,750,000 | $ | 575 | $ | 24,425 | $ | (16,514 | ) | $ | 8,486 | ||||||||||
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(1) |
Includes an aggregate of 750,000 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters (Note 5). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 1, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH AUGUST 15, 2025
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Cash flows from operating activities: |
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Net loss |
$ | (16,514 | ) | |
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Adjustment to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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General and administrative expenses paid through promissory note-related party |
12,420 | |||
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Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Accrued expenses |
4,094 | |||
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Net cash used in operating activities |
— | |||
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Net Change in Cash |
— | |||
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Cash – Beginning of period |
— | |||
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Cash – End of period |
$ | — | ||
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Non-cash financing activities: |
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Deferred offering costs paid through promissory note-related party |
$ | 25,000 | ||
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Prepaid expenses paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Founder shares |
$ | 25,000 | ||
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Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs |
$ | 6,195 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS, AND GOING CONCERN
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. (the “Company”) is a blank check company newly incorporated in the Cayman Islands on August 1, 2025. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any Business Combination target and it has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target with respect to an initial Business Combination.
Although the Company may acquire a business in any industry, it intends to focus on companies engaged in the technology industry. 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.
As of August 15, 2025, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed public offering (“Proposed Public Offering”), which is 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 from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a Proposed Public Offering of 20,000,000 units (the “Units”) and, with respect to the ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 23,000,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 580,000 units (or 640,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised on full) (the “Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC (the “Sponsor”) and the underwriter, that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations 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 (as defined below) (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account). The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise 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 (the “Investment Company Act”). Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including proceeds of the Private Placement Units, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”), located in the United States and 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 and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). The Company will be allowed to withdraw funds for working capital requirements, subject to an annual limit of $500,000, and/or to pay taxes, such withdrawals can only be made from interest and not from the principal held in the Trust Account (“Permitted Withdrawals”). Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company as Permitted Withdrawals, the funds held in the Trust Account will not otherwise be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of an initial Business Combination; (2) the redemption of any Public Shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the obligation to allow redemption in connection with initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within the completion window, as defined below, or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of the Public Shares if the Company has not completed an initial Business Combination within the completion window, subject to Cayman Islands laws.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
The Company will provide the holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest then in the Trust Account, net of funds withdrawn to pay taxes). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will the Company redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than any net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to the initial Business Combination. As a result, the Company may be able to complete its initial Business Combination even though a substantial majority of the public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if the Company seeks shareholder approval of the initial Business Combination and does not conduct redemptions in connection with the initial Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to the initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed Business Combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to the Company, the Company will not complete the Business Combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and the Company instead may search for an alternate Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Certificate of Incorporation will 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Initial Shareholders and the Company’s officers and directors intend to enter into a letter agreement, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination; (2) their redemption rights with respect to any shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within the completion window (as defined below) or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any founder shares and private shares they hold if the Company fails to complete its initial Business Combination within the completion window as a result of a shareholder vote to amend the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the completion window). If the Company submits its initial Business Combination to the public shareholders for a vote, the initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with the Company, to vote any shares held by them in favor of the initial Business Combination.
The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the completion window and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Proposed Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
The Company will have until 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as the Company’s board of directors may approve, to complete a Business Combination (the “Completion Window”). If the Company has not completed a Business Combination within the Completion Window, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject, in each case, to obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There is no limitation on the Company’s ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial Business Combination.
In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than the independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
Going Concern Considerations
As of August 15, 2025, the Company had no cash, and a working capital deficiency of $22,709 (excluding deferred offering costs) and incurred a net loss of $16,514 for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025. The Sponsor has agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and shall be payable on the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2026, (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, or (iii) the date on which the Company determines to not proceed with the Proposed Public Offering. As of August 15, 2025, the Company had borrowed $37,420 under the promissory note.
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASC 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern,” as of August 15, 2025, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its current obligations. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months following the issuance of these financial statements. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Completion window. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
NOTE 2 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
Emerging Growth Company
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 independent registered public accounting firm 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 GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering”. Deferred offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees that are related to the Proposed Public Offering. FASB ASC 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options”, addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applies this guidance to allocate Proposed Public Offering proceeds from the Units between ordinary shares and warrants, using the residual method by allocating Proposed Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the warrants and then to the ordinary shares. Offering costs allocated to the Public Shares will be charged to temporary equity, and offering costs allocated to the Public Warrants (defined below) and Private Placement Units will be charged to shareholders' equity as the warrants associated with units issued in the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement, after management's evaluation, will be accounted for under equity treatment. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of August 15, 2025, there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
The Company is considered to be an exempted Cayman Islands company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for the period presented.
Net Loss per Ordinary Share
Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 750,000 shares of ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (Notes 5 and 6). At August 15, 2025, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per ordinary share is the same as basic loss per ordinary share for the period presented.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statement of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net cash settlement or conversion of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date. The underwriters’ over-allotment option is deemed to be a freestanding financial instrument indexed on the contingently redeemable shares and will be accounted for as a liability pursuant to ASC 480 if not fully exercised at the time of the Proposed Public Offering.
Warrant Instruments
The Company will account for the Public and Private Placement Warrants (defined below) to be issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering and the private placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”, whereby under that provision, the warrants that do not meet the criteria for equity treatment must be recorded as liability. Accordingly, the Company evaluated and will classify the warrant instruments under equity treatment at their assigned values. There are no Public and Private Warrants currently outstanding as of August 15, 2025.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
Recent Accounting Standards
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The amendments in this ASU require disclosures, on an annual and interim basis, of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), as well as the aggregate amount of other segment items included in the reported measure of segment profit or loss. The ASU requires that a public entity disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. Public entities will be required to provide all annual disclosures currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods, and entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide all the disclosures required by the amendments in this ASU and existing segment disclosures in Topic 280. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 on August 1, 2025, date of incorporation.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 3 — PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 20,000,000 Units (or 23,000,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of ordinary shares and one-quarter of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one share of ordinary shares at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (Note 7).
NOTE 4 — PRIVATE PLACEMENT
The Sponsor and the representative of the underwriters in the Proposed Public Offering (the “Representative”) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 580,000 private units (or 640,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement transaction. Each private unit will consist one ordinary share and one-quarter of one redeemable warrant (“Private Placement Warrants”) subject to adjustment (Note 7). The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Completion Window, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law).
NOTE 5 — RELATED PARTIES
Founder Shares
On August 4, 2025, the Company issued 5,750,000 ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”) to the Sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000 to cover certain of the Company’s expenses. The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 750,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the number of Founder Shares will equal, on an as-converted basis, approximately 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering (not including the Private Placement Units and assuming the Sponsor does not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering).
Pursuant to a letter agreement that the initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with the Company, with certain limited exceptions, the Founder Shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to directors and officers and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial shareholders, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of the initial Business Combination; and (ii) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up if (1) the last reported sale price of the Company’s ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period after the initial Business Combination or (2) if the Company completes a transaction after the initial Business Combination which results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
Administrative Support Agreement
Commencing on the date of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will agree to reimburse the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of the initial Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On August 4, 2025, the Sponsor issued an unsecured promissory note to the Company (“Promissory Note”), pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000. The Promissory Note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026, (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering or (iii) the date on which the Company determines to not proceed with the Proposed Public Offering. As of August 15, 2025, the Company had borrowed $37,420 under the Promissory Note.
Working Capital Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into units of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. As of August 15, 2025, no working capital loans were outstanding.
NOTE 6 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Risks and Uncertainties
The United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Furthermore, changes to policy implemented by the U.S. Congress, the Trump administration or any new administration have impacted and may in the future impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade relations, unemployment, immigration, healthcare, taxation, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. For example, during the prior Trump administration, increased tariffs were implemented on goods imported into the U.S., particularly from China, Canada, and Mexico. On February 1, 2025, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, which were subsequently suspended for a period of one month, and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. More recently on April 2, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order imposing a minimum 10 percent baseline tariff on all U.S. imports, with higher tariffs applied to imports from 57 specific countries. The baseline tariff rate became effective on April 5, 2025, while tariffs on imports from the 57 targeted nations, ranging from 11 to 50 percent, took effect on April 9. On the same day, President Trump announced a 90-day ‘pause’ on reciprocal tariffs for all but China, which continues to face tariffs as high as 145%. Historically, tariffs have led to increased trade and political tensions, between not only the U.S. and China, but also between the U.S. and other countries in the international community. In response to tariffs, other countries have implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”). ASC 740, “Income Taxes”, requires the effects of changes in tax laws to be recognized in the period in which the legislation is enacted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new law. However, none of the tax provisions are expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
Any of the above-mentioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, and tariff on imports from foreign countries could adversely affect the Company’s search for an initial Business Combination and any target business with which the Company may ultimately consummate an initial Business Combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units (and underlying securities) and any units (and underlying securities) that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to ordinary shares). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain piggyback registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that the Company will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $4,000,000 in the aggregate (or $4,600,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $7,000,000 in the aggregate (or $8,050,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
NOTE 7 — SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
Preference Shares — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At August 15, 2025, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue 400,000,000 ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At August 15, 2025, there were 5,750,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which an aggregate of up to 750,000 ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part so that the number of Founder Shares will equal 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering (not including the Private Placement Units and assuming Sponsor does not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering).
Warrants — Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and (b) 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares upon exercise of a warrant unless ordinary shares issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants.
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, it will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the ordinary share issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants:
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in whole and not in part; |
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at a price of $0.01 per Public Warrant; |
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upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, referred to as the 30-day redemption period; and |
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• |
if, and only if, the last sale price of ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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 the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” management will consider, among other factors, the Company’s cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on the Company’s shareholders of issuing the maximum number of ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Company’s warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the highest closing sale price of the ordinary share for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants.
ARCHIMEDES TECH SPAC PARTNERS III CO.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AUGUST 15, 2025
In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per ordinary shares (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by the sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the Market Value 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 $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The Private Placement Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions.
NOTE 8 — SEGMENT INFORMATION
ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting”, establishes standards for companies to report, in their financial statements, information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities from which it may recognize revenues and incur expenses, and for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.
The Company’s CODM has been identified as the Chief Financial Officer, who reviews the operating results for the Company as a whole to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing financial performance. Accordingly, management has determined that the Company only has one reportable segment.
The CODM assesses performance for the single segment and decides how to allocate resources based on net income or loss that also is reported on the statement of operations as net income or loss. The measure of segment assets is reported on the balance sheet as total assets. When evaluating the Company’s performance and making key decisions regarding resource allocation, the CODM reviews several key metrics included in net income or loss and total assets, which include the following:
|
August 15, 2025 |
||||
|
Current asset – prepaid expenses |
$ | 25,000 | ||
|
Deferred offering costs |
$ | 31,195 | ||
|
For the |
||||
|
General and administrative expenses |
$ | 16,514 | ||
The CODM reviews general and administrative expenses to manage and forecast cash to ensure enough capital is available to complete a business combination or similar transaction within the business combination period. The CODM also reviews general and administrative expenses to manage, maintain and enforce all contractual agreements to ensure costs are aligned with all agreements and budget. General and administrative expenses, as reported on the statement of operations, are the significant segment information provided to the CODM on a regular basis. All other segment items included in net income or loss are reported on the statement of operations and described within their respective disclosures.
The CODM reviews the position of total assets available with the company to assess if the Company has sufficient resources available to discharge its liabilities. The CODM is provided with details of cash and liquid resources available with the Company. Additionally, the CODM regularly reviews the status of deferred costs incurred to assess if these are in line with the planned use of proceeds to be raised from the Proposed Offering.
NOTE 9 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date through October 7, 2025, the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
20,000,000 Units
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Sole Book-Running Manager
BTIG
Until , 2025 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
, 2025
PART II
Information not required in prospectus
ITEM 13. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
|
Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 275,000 | ||
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
100,000 | |||
|
SEC/FINRA expenses |
70,000 | |||
|
Nasdaq listing and filing fees |
80,000 | |||
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
30,000 | |||
|
Miscellaneous expenses |
245,000 | |||
|
Total offering expenses |
$ | 800,000 |
ITEM 14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
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, willful neglect or actual fraud. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will 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 will enter into indemnity agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also will permit us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any officer or director who at the request of the Company is or was serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity, whether or not the company has or would have had the power to indemnify the person against the liability as provided in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We will purchase 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.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is theretofore unenforceable.
ITEM 15. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.
On August 1, 2025, Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC, our sponsor, paid certain offering costs totaling $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, in exchange for an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares, par value $0.0001 per share. 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 this offering (not including the private units and assuming the sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering). Such securities were issued in connection with our incorporation pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
In addition, our sponsor and BTIG have committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 580,000 private units (or 640,000 private units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,800,000 in the aggregate, or $6,400,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
(a) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith:
|
Exhibit |
Description |
|
|
1.1** |
Form of Underwriting Agreement |
|
|
3.1** |
Memorandum and Articles of Association |
|
|
3.2** |
Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association |
|
|
4.1** |
Specimen Unit Certificate |
|
|
4.2** |
Specimen Ordinary Share Certificate |
|
|
4.3** |
Specimen Warrant Certificate (included in Exhibit 4.4) |
|
|
4.4** |
Form of Warrant Agreement between Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company and the Registrant |
|
|
5.1** |
Opinion of Walkers (Cayman) LLP |
|
|
5.2** |
Opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP |
|
|
10.1** |
Promissory Note, dated August 4, 2025, issued by the Registrant to Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC |
|
|
10.2** |
Securities Subscription Agreement, dated August 4, 2025, between the Registrant and Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC |
|
|
10.3** |
Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant, its directors and officers, and Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC |
|
|
10.4** |
Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company and the Registrant |
|
|
10.5** |
Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders |
|
|
10.6** |
Form of Private Units Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and Archimedes Tech SPAC Sponsors III LLC |
|
|
10.7** |
Form of Indemnity Agreement |
|
|
10.8** |
Form of Administrative Services Agreement by and between the Registrant and an affiliate of the Registrant |
|
|
14** |
Form of Code of Conduct |
|
|
23.1* |
||
|
23.2** |
Consent of Walkers (Cayman) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
|
|
23.3** |
Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2) |
|
|
99.1** |
Consent of Eric R. Ball to be named as director nominee |
|
|
99.2** |
Consent of Daniel L. Sheehan to be named as director nominee |
|
|
99.3** |
Consent of Vishwesh Pai to be named as director nominee |
|
|
99.5** |
Form of Audit Committee Charter |
|
|
99.6** |
Form of Compensation Committee Charter |
|
|
99.7** |
Form of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter |
|
|
107* |
|
* |
Filed herewith. |
|
** |
To be filed by amendment |
|
(b) |
Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement. |
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.
|
(a) |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
|
(b) |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
|
(c) |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
|
(1) |
For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
|
(2) |
For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
|
(3) |
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
|
(4) |
For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 of any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
|
(5) |
For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
|
(i) |
any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
|
(ii) |
any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant; |
|
(iii) |
the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
|
(iv) |
any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Claymont, State of Delaware, on the 23rd day of December, 2025.
|
Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. |
||
|
By: |
/s/ Long Long | |
|
Name: |
Long Long |
|
|
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Name |
Position |
Date |
||
| /s/ Long Long |
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
December 23, 2025 |
||
| Long Long |
(principal executive officer) |
|||
| /s/ Ming Chan |
Chief Financial Officer |
December 23, 2025 |
||
|
Ming Chan |
(principal financial and accounting officer) |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We hereby consent to the use in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated October 7, 2025, relating to the financial statements of Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners III Co. as of August 15, 2025, and for the period from August 1, 2025 (inception) through August 15, 2025, which is contained in that Prospectus. We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
New York, New York
December 23, 2025