As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 2026.
Registration No. 333-291302
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 2
TO
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| 6770 | N/A | |||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Telephone: (928) 625-0928
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Ian Hanna
Chief Executive Officer
398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Telephone: (928) 625-0928
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Joseph M. Lucosky, Esq. Lawrence Metelitsa, Esq. Lucosky
Brookman LLP Woodbridge,
New Jersey 08830 |
Tom McLaughlin Mourant Ozannes (Cayman) LLP 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay PO Box 1348 Grand Cayman KY1-1108 Cayman Islands +1 345 949 4123 |
Ying Li, Esq. Sally Yin, Esq. Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC 950 Third Avenue, 19th Floor New York, NY 10022 (212) 530-2206 |
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, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ||
| Emerging growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 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.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The information in this 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 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.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 29, 2026 |
$105,000,000
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
10,500,000 Units
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to identify and acquire a business where we believe our management teams’ and our affiliates’ expertise will provide us with a competitive advantage, including technology, healthcare and logistics industries. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses with an aggregate enterprise value of $700 million or greater, although, if we believe it is in the best interests of our shareholders, we may pursue a business combination with a target below that size.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per 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. The warrants will become exercisable 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 herein. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 1,575,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
The
Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a
price of $ per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $
On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $, of which Class B ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture in the event the over-allotment option is not exercised. On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with Class B ordinary shares (up to of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). On June 18, 2026, ARC Group Limited sold approximately 94% of its equity membership interests in the sponsor to Brynner Chiam with ARC Group Limited retaining 6% ownership of the sponsor.
The
sponsor is deemed to have purchased the founder shares for approximately $
(if over-allotment option is exercised) per share. The Class
B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation
of our initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject
to adjustment as provided herein.
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur an immediate and material dilution upon the closing of this offering. Further, the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares may result in material dilution to our public shareholders due to the anti-dilution rights of our founder shares that may result in an issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Public shareholders will experience additional dilution from the issuance of the shares (the “private shares”) underlying the private units (including private shares underlying private units issued upon conversion of working capital loans). Further, upon exercise of the warrants underlying the private units (the “private warrants”), we will issue an aggregate of 140,000 Class A ordinary shares. Additional shares may be issued upon exercise of any private warrants underlying private units issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The exercise of the warrants would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. See the sections titled “Summary — Sponsor Information,” “Summary — The Offering — Founder Shares,” “Summary — The Offering — Transfer Restrictions on Founder Shares,” “Summary — The Offering — Founder Shares Conversion and Anti-Dilution Rights” and “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities — 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.”
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 section titled “Dilution” for more information.
| As of March 31, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offering | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Price of $ (considering the issuance of one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share for each right included in | 25% of Maximum | 50% of Maximum | 75% of Maximum | 100% of Maximum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
units) | Redemption | Redemption | Redemption | Redemption | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Difference | Difference | Difference | Difference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| between | between | between | between | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTBV and | NTBV and | NTBV and | NTBV and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offering | Offering | Offering | Offering | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTBV | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
As more fully discussed in “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 pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our sponsor, 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares and private units may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. If we agree to pay our sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our 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 any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination. We may also engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a salary or fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions. Any such salary or fee would be paid using available working capital funds (including proceeds from any promissory notes issued by us and funds released from the trust account upon completion of our initial business combination). As of the date of this prospectus, no arrangements are currently in place with respect to the payment of any finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, or with respect to the payment of a salary or other fee to our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination or any other transaction. Additionally, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of theirs, will be entitled to certain payments including, but not limited to, reimbursement 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. We will reimburse an affiliate of our sponsor in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition, our officers and our independent directors will receive for their services as a director 10,000 founder shares each by direct transfer from our sponsor. Ian Hanna will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Jake Carney will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Daniel A. Mace will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Patrik Hriczo will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor and Jennifer Goforth will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor. As a result of their ownership of founder shares, our management team 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, upon consummation of this offering, we will repay up to $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses. In the event that following this offering we obtain working capital loans from our sponsor or any of its affiliates or from our officers or directors to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of our sponsor. As a result, there may be actual or potential material conflicts of interest between our sponsor and its affiliates or our officers or directors on the one hand, and purchasers in this offering on the other hand. See the sections titled “Prospectus Summary — Sponsor Information” for further discussion on our sponsor’s and affiliate’s compensation; “Proposed Business — Sponsor Information” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for more information.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our promoters and 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. See the sections titled “Summary – Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets,” “Summary — Conflicts of Interest,” “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Initial Business Combination Targets”, “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” “Management – Executive Officer and Director Compensation,” “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Securities — Private Units,” “Description of Securities — Private Placement Units,” “Description of Securities — Founder Shares”, “Description of Securities — Registration Rights,” and “Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination — Since our sponsor, officers and directors, and any other holders of our founder shares may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination” for more information.
| Entity/Individual | Amount
of Compensation to be Received or Securities Issued or to be Issued |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid | ||
| Sponsor | Class B ordinary shares(1) | $ | ||
| private placement units to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering | $ | |||
| $ |
Office space, administrative and shared personnel support services | |||
| Up to $350,000 | Repayment of loans made to us to cover offering related and organizational expenses | |||
| Up to $2,500,000 in working capital loans, which loans may be converted into private placement units of the post-business combination entity at the price of $ per private placement unit | Working capital loans to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination |
| Sponsor, our officers, our directors, or our or their affiliates | 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 | ||
| Finder’s, advisory, consulting or success fees | Payment for any services rendered in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account
We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions | |||
| Holders of Class B ordinary shares | Anti-dilution protection upon conversion into Class A ordinary shares at a greater than one-to-one ratio | Issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion | ||
| ARC
Group Securities LLC(2) and Clear Street LLC |
representative shares (as defined below), including 370,000 representative shares to ARC Group Securities LLC and 50,000 representative shares to Clear Street LLC | Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering | ||
| Deferred underwriting commission equal to one and one-half percent (1.5%) of the gross proceeds of this offering, payable in cash upon the closing of our initial business combination. | Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering |
| (1) | |
| (2) |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus, $105,000,000, or $120,750,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Efficiency INC. (“Efficiency”) acting as trustee.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “FJDIU,” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC, the lead representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions as described further herein. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FJDI,” “FJDIR” and “FJDIW,” respectively.
Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ian Hanna, is an affiliate of ARC Group Securities LLC, the sole book-runner and representative of the underwriters in this offering. As a result, ARC Group Securities LLC is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121 (“Rule 5121”). Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable requirements of Rule 5121. ARC Group Securities LLC will not confirm sales to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the specific prior written approval of the account holder. In addition, Rule 5121 requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and prospectus and exercise the usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Clear Street LLC has agreed to act as a qualified independent underwriter for this offering and to undertake the legal responsibilities and liabilities of an underwriter under the Securities Act, specifically including those inherent in Section 11 thereof. We have agreed to indemnify Clear Street LLC against certain liabilities incurred in connection with acting as a qualified independent underwriter, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Clear Street LLC will receive 50,000 Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of this offering for acting as qualified independent underwriter. Clear Street LLC will receive no other compensation. See the section titled “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)—Conflicts of Interest” for additional information.
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 39 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 Securities Act Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the SEC 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 (within the meaning of the Companies Act) to subscribe for any of our securities.
| Per Unit | Total | |||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 10.00 | $ | 105,000,000 | ||||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | $ | 0.15 | $ | 1,575,000 | ||||
| Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | 9.85 | $ | 103,425,000 | ||||
| (1) | Includes $0.15 per unit, or $1,575,000 in the aggregate (or $1,811,250 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and to be released to the underwriter as deferred underwriting commissions only upon the consummation of an initial business combination. The representative of the underwriters, ARC Group Securities LLC or its designees, and the co-manager, Clear Street LLC, will receive an aggregate of 420,000 Class A ordinary shares (483,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which we refer to herein as the “representative shares,” as compensation in connection with this offering, including the 50,000 Class A ordinary shares to Clear Street LLC for acting as a “qualified independent underwriter” in this offering. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters. Excludes 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. |
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 [ ], 2026.
Sole Book-Runner
ARC Group Securities LLC
Co-Manager
Clear Street
, 2026
Table of Contents
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from or inconsistent with 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.
Trademarks
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.
| i |
SUMMARY
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.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| ● | “we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company; |
| ● | “ARC Group Securities LLC” are to ARC Group Securities LLC, the sole book-runner for the offering; |
| ● | “Clear Street LLC” is to Clear Street LLC, the co-manager and the qualified independent underwriter for the offering; |
| ● | “Companies Act” is to the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands; |
| ● | “completion window” are to (i) the period ending on the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), 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. Our shareholders can also 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 complete an initial business combination, in which case our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, will be offered an opportunity to redeem their public shares; |
| ● | “founder shares” are to Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering and the Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holders thereof as described herein (for the avoidance of doubt, such Class A ordinary shares will not be “public shares”); |
| ● | “initial shareholders” are to our sponsor and any other holders of our founder shares immediately prior to this offering; |
| ● | “Investment Company Act” are to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; |
| ● | “management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors; |
| ● | “New ARC” is to ARC Group Securities Acquisition I from and after the closing of our initial business combination; |
| ● | “non-managing sponsor member” means any members of the sponsor, who are not affiliated with any member of our management or other members of our sponsor; |
| ● | “ordinary resolution” are to a resolution of the company passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time); |
| ● | “ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares; |
| ● | “private rights” are to the rights included within the private units being purchased by our sponsor in the private placement to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one private share; |
| ● | “private shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares included in the private units; |
| 1 |
| ● | “private units” or “private placement units” are to the units to be issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering; |
| ● | “private warrants” are to the warrants included in the private units; |
| ● | “public rights” are to the rights sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market) to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one public share; |
| ● | “public shares” are to Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| ● | “public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders, our management team and any non-managing sponsor members to the extent our initial shareholders, members of our management team or any non-managing sponsor members purchase public shares, provided that the each initial shareholder’s, member of our management team’s or any non-managing sponsor members’ status as a “public shareholder” will only exist with respect to such public shares; |
| ● | “public warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| ● | “representative shares” are to the 420,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the representative or its designees and the qualified independent underwriter upon the closing of this offering as compensation in connection with this offering; |
| ● | “special resolution” are to a resolution of the company passed by the affirmative vote of at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority (or such higher approval threshold as specified in the company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and described further herein) 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 at a general meeting; |
| ● | “SPACs” are to special purpose acquisition companies; |
| ● | “sponsor” are to FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company, which was recently formed to serve as the sponsor of our company, as further discussed under “Sponsor Information” below; |
| ● | “taxes payable” are to any taxes applicable to us, provided, however, that the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interest earned thereon will not be used to pay for possible excise tax or any other similar fees or taxes that may be levied on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on any redemptions or share buybacks by our company; |
| ● | “underwriters’ option to purchase additional units” are to the underwriters’ 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,575,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any; |
| ● | “warrants” are to our public warrants, private warrants and working capital warrants, if any; |
| ● | “warrant exercise date” are to the date on which the warrants will become exercisable, which is 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; |
| ● | “warrant expiration date” are to the date on which the warrants expire, which is five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation; |
| ● | “working capital loan” are to any loans from our sponsor or any of its affiliates or from our officers or directors to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $2,500,000 of which may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of our sponsor; and |
| ● | “working capital warrants” are to the warrants that are components of the units issuable upon conversion of working capital loans. |
Any conversion of the Class B ordinary shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and the issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
Any forfeiture of shares, and all references to forfeiture of shares, described in this prospectus shall take effect as a surrender of shares for no consideration as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividend described in this prospectus will take effect as a share capitalization as a matter of Cayman Islands law (that is, an issuance of shares from share premium).
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
| 2 |
OUR COMPANY
We are a blank check company incorporated on October 9, 2025 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to focus on industries that complement our management team’s background, and to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify and acquire a business. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses with an aggregate enterprise value of $700 million or greater, although, if we believe it is in the best interests of our shareholders, we may pursue a business combination with a target below that size.
We believe that the experience and capabilities of our management team will make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses, enhance our ability to complete a successful business combination, and bring value to the business post-business combination. Not only does our management team bring a combination of operating, investing, financial and transactional experience, but members of our management team have also worked closely together in the past at multiple operating companies and have successfully identified and closed two special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) business combinations. Our team has broad sector knowledge though their collective involvement across a variety of industries, as well as extensive global capital markets experience, with local and cross-border capabilities allowing access to different sectors of the capital markets.
Our Management Team
Our management team is led by Ian Hanna, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Jake Carney, our Chief Financial Officer.
Ian Hanna has served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since October 2025 and as our Chief Financial Officer from November 2025 to May 2026. Mr. Hanna is also the Chief Executive Officer of ARC Group Securities LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of ARC Group Limited, a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he has served as Partner since March 2025 and as a Managing Director since November 2021. Before joining ARC Group Limited, Mr. Hanna served as the Chief Executive Officer of Giga Carbon Neutrality, where he laid the foundation and led a global team through every aspect of the business to bring zero-emission transportation solutions to market. Previously, from March 2006 to February 2021, Mr. Hanna was an Engineer and People Leader at General Motors. During his 15-year tenure at General Motors, Mr. Hanna held assignments in the United States, South Korea, and China, where he contributed to the development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in areas such as performance, design, and manufacturing. With extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and technical innovation, Mr. Hanna has worked with industry-leading companies to secure strategic partnerships and drive growth. Mr. Hanna received a Master’s degree in Automotive / Manufacturing Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Jake Carney has served as our Chief Financial Officer since May 2026. Mr. Carney brings over 15 years of experience in the banking, investment advisory, and fintech industries. Mr. Carney has served as an in-house fundraising and consulting professional at Codebase Technologies, Kelpy, GetBee and Propway since June 2025, advising early-stage and growth-stage technology companies on capital raises and strategic transactions. From September 2022 to April 2025, Mr. Carney has served as the Managing Director of the UAE office of ARC Group (Dubai & Abu Dhabi), a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he established and led the UAE office, including strategic planning, budget ownership and governance to ensure alignment with the global objectives of ARC Group. Before joining ARC Group, Mr. Carney served as the Investment Director of Beehive Fintech – Dubai from December 2017 to August 2022, where he led origination and execution of investment opportunities for the platform, focusing on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), alternative credit and private investments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Prior to his tenure at Beehive, Mr. Carney served as an Investment Advisor at KBC Bank Ireland from March 2015 to August 2017, as a Financial Advisor at Bank of Ireland from November 2013 to March 2015, and as a Customer Service Representative at Bank of Ireland from December 2010 to November 2013. Mr. Carney holds a Professional Diploma in Financial Advice from the Institute of Banking at University College Dublin and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the Dublin Institute of Technology.
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Our Board of Directors
Our board of directors will include four members upon the commencement of trading of the units on Nasdaq. The board will be led by our Chairman, Ian Hanna (who also serves as our Chief Executive Officer), and will include Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo and Jennifer Goforth. Each board member brings diversity of experience, perspective and industry contacts that when combined create a distinguished board of directors.
Daniel A. Mace, age 49, has served as a Director and Chief Financial Officer of Miluna Acquisition Corp since July 2025. Mr. Mace is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience in public accounting, financial consulting, and compliance services. From June 2022 to May 2024, Mr. Mace served as a Partner at BakerTilly US. Prior to that, Mr. Mace served at Henry & Horne LLP from December 1998 to May 2022 in roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Accountant, Senior Accountant, Manager, Senior Manager, and ultimately Partner. During his tenure at these firms, Mr. Mace managed all aspects of client relationships for a wide range of accounts, including corporate, small business, and individual clients. He oversaw financial statement preparation, including full-disclosure GAAP and tax basis statements, and consulted and advised clients on financial matters. Mr. Mace has also served as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Casa Grande Friends of the Arts Inc. since December 2014 and as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Pinal 40, Inc. since July 2009. Mr. Mace received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Arizona State University. He has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant through the Arizona State Board of Accountancy since July 2001 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Patrik Hriczo, age 35, is an AAT-qualified finance professional with over 15 years of progressive financial leadership experience across the automotive, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Since January 2026, Mr. Hriczo has served as a Management Accountant at YDS Group, where he delivers management accounts and financial reporting within a group environment, supporting leadership in strategic financial planning and operational decision-making. From July 2024 to April 2025, Mr. Hriczo served as a Management Accountant at Caterers Choice, and from January 2024 to June 2024, Mr. Hriczo served as Senior Management Accountant at Killgerm Group Ltd. From March 2022 to October 2023, Mr. Hriczo served as Group Financial Controller at Autozone UK Ltd, where he directed all financial operations and reporting across multiple business sites and teams. From October 2022 to March 2023, Mr. Hriczo concurrently served as Financial Controller at Cars2 Ltd, where he produced monthly and annual financial reports, budgets, and cash flow forecasts for board consumption and oversaw the internal controls framework. Prior to these roles, Mr. Hriczo served as a Dealership Accountant at Citroen SB Wakefield from October 2019 to October 2022, as an Accountant at Stratstone BMW Leeds from March 2019 to October 2019, as an Accountant at Northside Truck & Van Ltd (Mercedes-Benz) from February 2013 to March 2019, and as an Accounts Administrator at House of Fraser from December 2008 to February 2013. Mr. Hriczo holds an AAT qualification from the Association of Accounting Technicians.
Jennifer Goforth, age 54, is a transformation executive with over 30 years of automotive and mobility industry experience. Since 2025, Ms. Goforth has served as Principal and Independent Senior Advisor of Goforth and Konkel Advisory LLC, where she advises leading automotive and mobility clients on aftersales strategy, OEM-dealer ecosystem transformation, and commercial operations. From February 1998 to December 2025, Ms. Goforth held positions of increasing responsibility at General Motors Company. Most recently, from April 2024 to November 2025, she served as Executive Director, Customer Care & Aftersales — Sales & Marketing, where she led a $10.1B global revenue portfolio across GM brands with full P&L accountability, directing commercial strategy, sales, marketing, and lifecycle planning, and delivering 20% service parts revenue growth through data-driven go-to-market redesign. From January 2022 to March 2024, she served as Executive Director, Global Aftersales Engineering & Service Operations, and from August 2020 to December 2021, Ms. Goforth served as Director, Global Aftersales Mechanical Engineering. From November 2016 to July 2020, Ms. Goforth served as Chief Engineer, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, China, a GM joint venture. From April 2014 to November 2016, she served as Director, Global Accessories at General Motors, and from January 2011 to April 2014, she served as Chief Engineer and Vehicle Line Director, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at General Motors — Korea. From January 2009 to January 2011, Ms. Goforth served as Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman, Global Product Development. Ms. Goforth has served as Board Chair of I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) since 2024 and as a board member since 2022. She has also served as a Trustee of the SAE Foundation since 2021. Ms. Goforth received a Master of Science in Engineering from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. She is the recipient of the 2025 SAE International Humanitarian Award.
With respect to the above, past performance of our management team or any of their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of (i) success with respect to a business combination that may be consummated, (ii) the ability to successfully identify and execute a transaction or (iii) the ability to assess the risk of potential transactions. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team or their affiliates as indicative of our future performance. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and us, as well as the priority and preference that such entity has with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Business Strategy
Our acquisition strategy focuses on identifying and acquiring a business that aligns with and enhances the extensive expertise of our management team. We will leverage our sponsor’s robust network and our management team’s comprehensive industry relationships as a leader in SPAC advisory and investment banking to generate a pipeline of compelling business combination opportunities. Following the completion of this offering, our management team will immediately commence a disciplined process of target identification, due diligence, and transaction evaluation.
Our management team, in collaboration with ARC Group Securities LLC, and its affiliates, brings proven expertise in:
| ● | identifying, structuring, and executing strategic business acquisitions and divestitures; |
| ● | successfully closing transactions in varying economic climates and market conditions across multiple jurisdictions; |
| ● | cultivating and maintaining relationships with business owners, institutional investors, and executive leadership teams; |
| ● | orchestrating complex transaction negotiations across diverse business environments; |
| ● | securing strategic capital partnerships and navigating financial markets; |
| ● | providing operational leadership, developing effective corporate strategies, and attracting and developing exceptional talent; |
| ● | implementing post-acquisition integration strategies and synergy realization plans; and |
| ● | driving sustainable growth through strategic initiatives, operational improvements, and calculated geographic and product line expansions. |
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While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to focus on industries that complement our management team’s background, and to capitalize on the ability of our officers and directors to identify and acquire a business or businesses consistent with the experience of our management team and affiliates of our sponsor. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will focus on these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines.
| ● | Companies with an attractive competitive position |
| ● | Companies with knowledgeable management teams with a proven track record and relevant industry experience |
| ● | Companies with high revenue growth or the potential for high revenue growth |
| ● | Companies with the ability to generate future profits and free cash flows |
| ● | Companies with scalability across multiple geographies |
| ● | Companies that benefit from being a publicly traded company |
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.
Competitive Strengths
Distinguished Leadership Team with Extensive SPAC Expertise and Public Market Transaction Experience
Our leadership team brings over five years of combined experience in investment banking, advisory, and capital markets execution, with particular specialization in SPAC and cross-border public listings. This experience covers the full SPAC lifecycle, from sponsor formation and IPO execution to target identification, due diligence, negotiation, and successful business combination closings. Through the leadership role at ARC Group Limited and ARC Group Securities LLC, our executive team has advised or led more than 10 public market transactions, representing an aggregate transaction value exceeding $5.6 billion across a range of industries and geographies. These transactions have included listings on Nasdaq and NYSE, spanning sectors such as technology, healthcare, industrial innovation, and sustainability. At ARC Group Securities LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, the leadership team established and operates a full-service investment banking platform focused on firm-commitment underwritings and SPAC advisory mandates. In parallel, ARC Group Limited, headquartered in Shanghai with a global presence across Asia, the Middle East, and North America, provides direct access to high-quality private companies and institutional investors, enabling efficient cross-border capital formation. This combination of proven transaction experience, global connectivity, and regulatory expertise positions our company to effectively identify, evaluate, and execute business combinations that deliver sustainable long-term value for shareholders.
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Record of Identifying and Securing Proprietary Deal Flow Optimized for SPAC Transactions
The principal of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, through his role at his firm and affiliates, have consistently maintained competitive positions in SPAC league tables for SPAC IPO and completed de-SPAC transactions. This distinguished position stems from our team’s cultivated network of relationships with private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, family offices, investment banks, and industry executives that generate exclusive access to off-market opportunities. Our proprietary deal sourcing methodology combines quantitative screening with qualitative assessment to identify businesses with the optimal characteristics for successful SPAC transactions: strong growth profiles, defensible market positions, experienced management teams, and clear paths to value creation in the public markets. This access to premium deal flow, coupled with our reputation for execution excellence, positions us as a preferred partner for high-quality acquisition targets.
Demonstrated Success in Executing Transactions with High-Growth Assets Across International Markets
Our management team brings a global perspective and operational expertise across diverse international markets. We have successfully completed transactions spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and emerging markets, navigating complex cross-border regulatory environments, cultural nuances, and market-specific dynamics. This global transaction experience is particularly valuable in identifying undervalued growth opportunities outside saturated domestic markets. Our team possesses specialized knowledge in conducting thorough due diligence on international targets, structuring transactions to mitigate currency and geopolitical risks, and implementing post-acquisition integration strategies that respect local market dynamics while implementing global best practices. We have demonstrated particular expertise in identifying emerging market champions poised for global expansion and North American companies with untapped international growth potential. This cross-border transaction capability significantly expands our addressable market of potential acquisition targets beyond domestically-focused competitors.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information about the target and its industry which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds available for us to use to complete another business combination.
Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement.
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We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window and do not hold a shareholder vote 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, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of our public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per public share (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), without taking into account any interest or other income earned on such funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors, which may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
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. There is no limit on the number of extensions that we may seek;
however, we do not expect that it will be necessary to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination beyond
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
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We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Even if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private units 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. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our sponsor, 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 and private units may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which such officer or director has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, such officer or director will honor such officer’s or director’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
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In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter significant competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours (including other special purpose acquisition companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions), which competition may impact the attractiveness of the acquisition terms that we will be able to negotiate. Many of these entities are well-established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess financial, technical, human and other resources that are similar to or greater than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with the exercise of redemption rights by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our issued and outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either or both of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. See “Risk Factors — Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our rights and warrants will expire worthless.”
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Potential Additional Financings
We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our public shareholders may suffer significant dilution and these securities could have rights that rank senior to our public shares. If we raise additional funds through the incurrence of indebtedness, such indebtedness will have rights that are senior to our equity securities and could contain covenants that restrict our operations. Further, as described above, due to the anti-dilution rights of our founder shares, our public shareholders may incur material dilution. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by our public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Sponsor Information
Our
sponsor is a Cayman Islands , which was recently formed
on October 15, 2025 to invest in our company. ARC Group Limited, the parent company of ARC Group Securities LLC and a global
investment bank and management consultancy firm that provides advisory services to SPACs, owns a minority of the membership
interests (approximately 6%) in the sponsor, following its sale of approximately 94% of the total membership interests of
the sponsor outstanding on June 18, 2026.
In addition, our officers and our independent directors will receive for their services as a director 10,000 founder shares each by direct transfer from our sponsor. Ian Hanna will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Jake Carney will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Daniel A. Mace will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Patrik Hriczo will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor and Jennifer Goforth will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor. Other than members of our management team who are members of our sponsor, none of the other members of our sponsor will participate in our company’s activities.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our promoters and 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:
| 10 |
| Entity/Individual | Amount
of Compensation to be Received or Securities Issued or to be Issued |
Consideration
Paid or to be Paid | ||
| Sponsor | Class B ordinary shares(1) | $ | ||
| private placement units to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering | $ | |||
| $ |
Office space, administrative and shared personnel support services | |||
| Up to $350,000 | Repayment of loans made to us to cover offering related and organizational expenses | |||
| Up to $2,500,000 in working capital loans, which loans may be converted into private placement units of the post-business combination entity at the price of $ per private placement unit | Working capital loans to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination |
| Sponsor, our officers, our directors, or our or their affiliates | 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 | ||
| Finder’s, advisory, consulting or success fees | Payment for any services rendered in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account
We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions | |||
| Holders of Class B ordinary shares | Anti-dilution protection upon conversion into Class A ordinary shares at a greater than one-to-one ratio | Issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion | ||
| ARC
Group Securities LLC(2) and Clear Street LLC |
representative shares (as defined below), including 370,000 representative shares to ARC Group Securities LLC and 50,000 representative shares to Clear Street LLC | Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering | ||
Deferred underwriting commission equal to one and one-half percent (1.5%) of the gross proceeds of this offering, payable in cash upon the closing of our initial business combination |
Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering |
| (1) | |
| (2) |
| 11 |
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price (approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share), our public shareholders will incur immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. Further, the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares may result in material dilution to our public shareholders due to the anti-dilution rights of our founder shares that may result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Additionally, the issuance of shares underlying private units, the conversion of working capital loans into private units, and/or the exercise of any warrants may result in a material dilution of the equity interest of investors in this offering. For example, if 140,000 private units were purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering, it may result in the issuance of an additional 315,000 Class A ordinary shares (140,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private units, 140,000 Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants underlying the private units, 35,000 Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the rights underlying the private units) and if $2,500,000 of working capital loans were made and converted into 250,000 private units, it may result in the issuance of an additional 500,000 Class A ordinary shares at the closing of the business combination (250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private units and 250,000 Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants underlying the private units). See the sections titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities — 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” and “Dilution.”
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. Our public shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion.
If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our public shareholders may suffer significant dilution. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, the cashless exercise of the private warrants would further increase the dilution to our public shareholders.
Pursuant to (i) a letter agreement to be entered into among us, our sponsor, directors and officers and (ii) the private unit purchase agreement between us and the sponsor, each has agreed to restrictions on its ability to transfer, assign, or sell the private units, as summarized in the table below.
| 12 |
| Subject Securities | Expiration Date | Natural
Persons and Entities Subject to Restrictions |
Exceptions to Transfer Restrictions | |||
| Private units (including component securities and securities underlying those component securities) | Ian Hanna Daniel A. Mace Patrik Hriczo Jennifer Goforth |
|||||
| Any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any units, ordinary shares, founder shares or warrants | Ian Hanna Daniel A. Mace Patrik Hriczo Jennifer Goforth |
|
| 13 |
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306, Tempe, Arizona 85281, and our telephone number is (928) 625-0928. We are a Cayman Islands exempt company. Our agent for service of process in the United States is FDB I, located at 398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306, Tempe, Arizona 85281.
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 amended) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of 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 of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of 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 Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.
In addition, after completion of this offering and prior to the consummation of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
| 14 |
The offering
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 (“Rule 419”). 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.”
| Securities offered: | |||
| ● | |||
| ● | |||
| ● | |||
| Proposed Nasdaq symbols: | Units: “FJDIU” | ||
| Class A Ordinary Shares: “FJDI” | |||
| Warrants: “FJDIW” | |||
| Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants: | The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC 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 issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. | ||
| Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K: | In no event will the Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 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 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 information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | ||
| Units: | ||
| Number outstanding before this offering | 0 | |
| Number to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering(1) | 140,000 | |
| Number outstanding after this offering(1) | 10,640,000 |
| 15 |
| Ordinary shares: | ||
| Number outstanding before this offering(2) | 5,175,000 | |
| Number included in the private units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering(1) | 140,000 | |
| Number of representative shares(1) | 420,000 | |
| Number outstanding after this offering(3)(4) | 15,560,000 | |
| Rights: | ||
| Number outstanding before this offering and private placement | 0 | |
| Number outstanding after this offering and private placement | 10,640,000 comprised of 10,500,000 public rights included in the public units to be sold in this offering and 140,000 private rights to be sold to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with this offering (assuming the underwriter does not exercise the over-allotment option). | |
| Terms of the rights | Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a public right will automatically receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon the consummation of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within the completion window and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. | |
| Warrants: | ||
| Number of warrants included in the private units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering | 140,000 | |
| Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement(5) | 10,640,000 | |
| Exercisability: | Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. | |
| We have structured each unit to contain one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share, as compared to units issued by some other similar special purpose acquisition companies which contain whole warrants exercisable for one share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination as compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. |
| (1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
| (2) | Includes up to 675,000 founder shares that will be surrendered to us for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| (3) | Comprised of 10,500,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units to be sold in this offering, 4,500,000 Class B ordinary shares (or founder shares), 140,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the private units and 420,000 representative shares. Founder shares are currently classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.” |
| (4) | Assumes surrender of all 675,000 founder shares. Up to 675,000 founder shares will be surrendered to us for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| (5) | Comprised of 10,500,000 public warrants included in the units to be sold in this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) and 140,000 private warrants included in the private units to be sold in the private placement. |
| 16 |
| Exercise price: | $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as described herein.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A 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 Class A 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 initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders 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 (including from such issuances and this offering), 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 Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) 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 prices described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. | |
| Exercise period: | The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. | |
| We are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than [ ] business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement and have an effective registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement, provided that if a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form F-4 is filed in connection with our initial business combination that registers our warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants, such registration statement will not satisfy our obligation to register the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of our warrants, which will only be satisfied with the filing of a registration statement on Form S-1 or Form F-1 (or, if applicable, a registration statement on Form S-3 or Form F-3) registering the issuance of such Class A ordinary shares from time to time. |
| 17 |
| If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, 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. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, 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. | ||||
| The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. | ||||
| Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 | We may redeem the 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 reported sale price (the “closing price”) of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption Procedures — Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of our initial business combination and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. | |||
| We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A Ordinary Shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of Ordinary 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 Ordinary 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. |
| 18 |
| Founder shares: | On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 founder shares for $25,000 to cover certain of our offering costs (up to 964,286 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). Following and as a result of that capitalization and issuance of additional founder shares, the sponsor is deemed to have purchased the founder shares for approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share.
Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Our public shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders, on an as-converted basis, at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and the issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. |
| The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: | ||||
| ● | prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors and on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (as further described herein); | |||
| ● | the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; | |||
| ● | the founder shares are entitled to registration rights; | |||
| ● | the founder shares are automatically convertible into our Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights”; and | |||
| 19 |
| ● | our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; (iii) 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, 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 prescribed time frame and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account; and (iv) vote any founder shares and private shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). |
| Pursuant to an agreement of all members of the sponsor, the management and control of the sponsor is vested exclusively with the manager, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any non-managing members regardless of their unit ownership. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, for so long as Brynner Chiam remains a manager of the sponsor and holds series A membership units, all matters submitted to a vote by the manager will require the affirmative vote of the series A membership units held only by the manager, without regard to any membership interests held by any non-managing members. As a result, non-managing sponsor members will have no right to control the sponsor, or participate in any decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the sponsor, or otherwise. |
| Transfer restrictions on founder shares | Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the completion of our initial business combination; except to certain permitted transferees and under certain circumstances as described herein under “Principal Shareholders —Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. |
| Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights: | The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. |
| 20 |
| Appointment and removal of directors and continuing the company outside of the Cayman Islands; Voting Rights: | Except as set forth below, holders of record of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as required by the Companies Act or stock exchange rules, an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is generally required to approve any matter voted on by our shareholders. Certain actions require approval by a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as specified below) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting, and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning, following our initial business combination, the holders of more than 50% of our ordinary shares entitled to vote and voting on the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will (i) have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors and (ii) be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on these matters during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company.
With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of the founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company.
In such case, our sponsor, officers and directors and ARC Group Securities LLC have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares, the representative shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or approximately 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. |
| Private units: | The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000. The private units will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. A portion of the purchase price of the private units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $105,000,000 (or $120,750,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. The private units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the private units will expire worthless. |
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| Transfer restrictions on private units: | The private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination, except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” | |
| Proceeds to be held in trust account: | ||
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| Ability to extend time to complete business combination | We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be further extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law.
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, we will redeem 100% of our public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. |
| 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 the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes and/or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as described above. To the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our income taxes, we will not release funds from the trust account to pay such taxes, and we expect to make such payments from the funds held outside of the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will initially 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 in 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, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations, money market funds, a combination thereof or are in cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). If we determine to hold the funds in the trust account as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts), the amount of interest we may receive would likely be less than if we were investing the funds in permitted investments. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from such interest withdrawn from the trust account and: | |||
| ● | the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not held in the trust account, which initially will be approximately $700,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $700,000 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 their respective affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us; 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. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the applicable lender. |
| Conditions to completing our initial business combination: | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors. We 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 outstanding voting securities of the target or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to 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 the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. | |
| If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the aggregate value of all of the target businesses will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% fair market value test and we will treat the transactions together as our initial business combination for purposes of seeking shareholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable. |
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| Permitted purchases of public shares, public rights and public warrants by our affiliates: | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase shares, public rights and public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of 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 sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public rights and public warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. 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. See “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities,” for a description of how our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. Our sponsor, directors, officers or any of their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. | |||
| Additionally, in the event our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or 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/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; | |||
| ● | if our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; | |||
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; | |||
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| ● | our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and | ||||
| ● | we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items: | ||||
| ● | the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates, along with the purchase price; | ||||
| ● | the purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates; | ||||
| ● | the impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; | ||||
| ● | the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or 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, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates; and | ||||
| ● | the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. | ||||
Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which shareholders to seek to acquire securities.
The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met.
Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 164.98 promulgated by the SEC. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Please see “Risk Factors — If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may elect to purchase public shares, rights or warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.”
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| Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination: | We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise. | |
| Manner of conducting redemptions: | We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. Cayman Islands law also requires shareholder approval for certain transactions, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and statutory mergers under the Companies Act (other than a merger between the company and a 90% subsidiary of the company). We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s shareholder approval rules. | |
The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended by a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting, so long as we offer redemption in connection with such amendment. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. |
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| If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, 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. | |||
| If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our initial shareholders will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. | ||||
As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9 % of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. | ||||
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If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
| ● | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
| ● | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements.
We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by our public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.
Our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
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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, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” 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 securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of 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. | |
| Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination: | Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our rights or warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. | |
| Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. However, if our initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. |
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| Our sponsor, officers and directors 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 redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal, and in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. | ||||
| Limited payments to insiders: | We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account: | |||
| ● | Repayment of up to an aggregate of $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; | |||
| ● | Reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us by an affiliate of our sponsor, in an amount equal to $20,000 per month; | |||
| ● | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating 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 officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. | |||
| Audit committee: | We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors as and when required by the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A of the Exchange Act. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates and monitor compliance with 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 the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” | |||
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| Conflicts of Interest: |
Conflicts may arise from ARC Group Securities LLC’s affiliation with us, its or its affiliates’ provision of services both to us, other SPACs and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by ARC Group Securities LLC for its own account. ARC Group Securities LLC is often engaged as a financial advisor, or placement agent, to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries. Alternatively, ARC Group Securities LLC, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may be a financial advisor to a target business that we pursue a business combination with and ARC Group Securities LLC, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may receive fees from the target business in connection with a business combination. ARC Group Securities LLC also represents potential buyer’s businesses and may be incentivized or obligated to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers in lieu of us, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunities available to us.
In addition, in the ordinary course of its business activities, ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may 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, in each case via walled-off entities. Such trades have in the past and may in the future include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities). Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments, in each case to include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities).
Conflicts may arise from ARC Group Limited’s affiliation with us, it or its affiliates’ provision of services both to us, other SPACs and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by ARC Group Limited for its own account. ARC Group Limited is often engaged as a financial advisor to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries. Alternatively, ARC Group Limited, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may be a financial advisor to a target business that we pursue a business combination with and ARC Group Limited, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may receive fees from the target business in connection with a business combination. ARC Group Limited also represents potential buyer’s businesses and may be incentivized or obligated to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers in lieu of us, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunities available to us.
ARC Group Limited and its respective affiliates may hold long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments, in each case to include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities). |
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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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve. | ||
Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company. | ||
| Our sponsor, officers or directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. | ||
| Our executive officers and our directors may have interests that differ from you in connection with the business combination, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, 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. | ||
| Our sponsor, our independent directors 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, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $1,425,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares (or approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share) and the $1,400,000 purchase price for the private units (or $10.00 per private unit). Accordingly, our management team and directors may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier 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 in this offering, as our sponsor and members of our management team would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. These interests of our executive officers and directors may affect the consideration paid, terms, conditions and timing relating to a business combination in a way that conflicts with the interests of our public shareholders. |
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| Additionally, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and pursuing an initial business combination or completing our initial business combination. The different timelines of competing business combinations could cause our directors and executive officers to prioritize a different business combination over finding a suitable acquisition target for our business combination. For example, if two targets are being evaluated by our management team, and one is more stable and has a better risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, but may take a longer time to diligence and go through the business combination process, while the other has a less favorable risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, but would be easier, quicker and more certain to guide through the business combination process, our management team may decide to choose what they believe to be the quicker and more certain path despite its less favorable risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, as our management team would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated a business combination. Additionally, if members of our management team form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, the consideration paid, terms, conditions and timing relating to the business combinations of such other special purpose acquisition companies or ventures, and the level of attention paid to by members of our management team to them versus the level of attention paid to us may conflict in a way that is unfavorable to us. Consequently, our directors’ and executive officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest, which could negatively impact the timing for a business combination. | ||
| In addition to the above, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including selecting a business combination target and monitoring the related due diligence. See “Risk Factors — Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.” | ||
| Additionally, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Further, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. 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 may expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until after the completion of our initial business combination. The private units and the component securities (as well as any securities underlying those component securities) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and executive officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares following this offering, our executive officers and directors 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 because of their financial interest in completing an initial business combination within the completion window. | ||
| Upon consummation of this offering or thereafter, we will repay up to $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses, and we will begin paying an affiliate of our sponsor $20,000 per month for office space and administrative services. In the event that following this offering we obtain working capital loans from our sponsor or any of its affiliates or from our officers or directors to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of our sponsor. In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur 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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| Similarly, if we agree to pay our sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our 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 any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination. |
| We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members; 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 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. |
| Indemnity by the sponsor in the event of liquidation without a business combination: | Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement (except for the Company’s independent auditors), reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. |
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Risks
We are a recently incorporated company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. Please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419” for additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
| ● | We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. |
| ● | Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination. |
| ● | Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash. |
| ● | Our sponsor will control the appointment of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, it will appoint all of our directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support. |
| ● | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote and, under certain circumstances, we may not need any public shares in addition to the founder shares to approve an initial business combination. |
| ● | We do not have a minimum net tangible asset requirement. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | 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, and may substantially dilute your investment in us. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants. |
| ● | You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, public rights or public 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. |
| ● | 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. |
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| ● | The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share. |
| ● | You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of other blank check companies subject to Rule 419 of the Securities Act. |
| ● | Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor. In that case, Nasdaq would delist our securities. The delisting of our securities, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections may deprive our investors with the benefits of such inspections. |
| ● | Past performance by our management team, our advisor 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. |
| ● | We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors. |
| ● | To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. As a result, following the liquidation of investments in the trust account, we would likely receive less interest on the funds held in the trust account, which would likely reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation; |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations. |
| ● | 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, Israel-Hamas conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. |
| ● | Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East 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. |
| ● | An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. |
| ● | The other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. |
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Summary financial data
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, so only balance sheet data is presented.
| March 31, 2026 | ||||||||
| Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | ||||||||
| Working capital (deficiency)(1) | $ | (255,728 | ) | 495,400 | ||||
| Total assets(2) | $ | 163,426 | 105,607,698 | |||||
| Total liabilities(3) | $ | 255,728 | 1,687,298 | |||||
| Value of ordinary shares subject to possible redemption(4) | $ | - | 105,000,000 | |||||
| Shareholders’ deficit(5) | $ | (92,302 | ) | (1,079,600 | ) | |||
| (1) | The “as adjusted” calculation includes $700,000 of cash held outside the trust account, including approximately $100,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums, plus $92,302 of actual shareholders’ deficit on March 31, 2026, less approximately $112,298 of over-allotment liability. |
| (2) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals $105,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, plus $700,000 in cash held outside the trust account, including approximately $100,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums, plus $92,302 of actual shareholders’ deficit on March 31, 2026. |
| (3) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals $1,575,000 deferred underwriting commissions plus $112,298 of over-allotment liability. |
| (4) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the “as adjusted” shareholders’ equity. |
| (5) | 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 redeemed in connection with our initial business combination ($10.00 per share). |
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Risk factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this 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
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. In such case, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Even if we seek shareholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we complete. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business — Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote and, under certain circumstances, we may not need any public shares in addition to the founder shares to approve an initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering) will own 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the completion of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units).
Our initial shareholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if we seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their ordinary shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares and private shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial shareholders and management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination will be obtained.
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Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding our initial business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
We do not have a minimum net tangible asset requirement.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association does not contain a minimum net tangible asset requirement. Such a requirement can serve to ensure that our securities are not determined to be “penny stocks” under Rule 3a-51 of the Exchange Act. Whether or not our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contains a net tangible assets requirement, if our securities are deemed to be “penny stocks,” we will become subject to Rule 419 of the Securities Act. In the event that our securities are delisted from Nasdaq, our securities could be determined to be “penny stocks” under Rule 3a-51 of the Exchange Act, and we would be required to comply with the requirements of Rule 419 of the Securities Act. Being subject to the requirements of Rule 419 would make us less attractive to potential business combination targets and thereby adversely affect our ability to complete an initial business combination. Please see the sections entitled “— Risks Relating to Our Securities — You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of other blank check companies subject to Rule 419 of the Securities Act”, “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”, “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”, and “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, and may substantially dilute your investment in us.”
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 minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. If 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. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would not allow us 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. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.
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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, and may substantially dilute your investment in us.
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 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 are 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. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B ordinary shares results in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. As a result, our obligations to redeem public shares for which redemption is requested may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure. In addition, raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure and may result in substantial dilution from your purchase of our Class A ordinary shares. The effect of this dilution will be greater for shareholders who do not redeem. We may not be able to generate sufficient value from the completion of our initial business combination in order to overcome the dilutive impact of these and other factors, and, accordingly, you may incur a net loss on your investment. Please see “— Risks Relating to Our Securities — 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.”
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 is increased. 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 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 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. The length of time it may take us to complete our diligence and negotiate a business combination may reduce the amount of time available for us to ultimately complete an initial business combination should such diligence or negotiations not lead to a consummated 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 financing transaction. We will issue 420,000 representative shares upon the closing of this offering to our underwriters which will expire worthless in the event that we do not complete an initial business combination. Our underwriters are entitled to receive a deferred underwriting fee only upon the successful 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 such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering.
We will issue 420,000 representative shares to our underwriters upon the closing of this offering which will expire worthless in the event that we do not complete an initial business combination. Our underwriters are also entitled to receive a deferred underwriting fee that is conditioned on the successful 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 and consummation of an initial business combination. The underwriters are under no obligation to provide any further services to us in order to receive all or any part of the representative shares.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, in which case we would redeem our public shares.
We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within the completion window after the closing of this offering. 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. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or possibly less, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder and our rights will be worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. 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 described in this “Risk Factors” section.
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We may decide not to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination, in which case we would redeem our public shares and our rights and warrants would be worthless.
We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. However, we may decide not to seek to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. If we do not seek to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, and we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the rights and warrants would be worthless.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may purchase public shares, public rights or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation or duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgment that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares, public rights or public warrants in such transactions.
The purpose of any such transactions could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination, or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
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To the extent that any public shares are purchased such purchases will be in compliance with all of the requirements set forth in Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 164.98 promulgated by the SEC, including that such public shares will not be voted. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Additionally, in the event our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates were to purchase public shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders, such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may purchase public shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; |
| ● | if our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates were to purchase public shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; |
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; |
| ● | our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and |
| ● | we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items: |
| ● | the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates, along with the purchase price; |
| ● | the purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates; |
| ● | the impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; |
| ● | the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates; and |
| ● | the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. |
Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which shareholders to seek to acquire securities.
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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 submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or submit public shares for redemption. For example, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent, or to deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Delivering Share Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights.”
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of other blank check companies subject to Rule 419 of the Securities Act.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units are intended to be used to complete one or more initial business combinations with a target business or businesses that have not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the completion of this offering and the sale of the private units and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors 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 respective business combinations 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 or 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, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor. In that case, Nasdaq would delist our securities. The delisting of our securities, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections may deprive our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2023, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or other securities from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. On December 29, 2022, the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“AHFCAA”) was enacted, which amends the HFCAA and requires the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three consecutive years.
Our current auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in the Proxy Statement, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. However, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, Nasdaq would delist our securities, including our units, shares and rights being offered in this offering, and the SEC shall prohibit them from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. If our securities are delisted and prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. due to the PCAOB not being able to conduct inspections or full investigations of our auditor, it would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our securities when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with potential delisting and prohibition would have a negative impact on the price of our securities. Also, such delisting and prohibition could significantly affect the Company’s ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and prospects.
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On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC.
On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB’s Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. Rule 6100 provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (i) China, and (ii) Hong Kong.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China (“SOP”), taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely, consistent with U.S law. Pursuant to the SOP, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC.
On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”) authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB will consider the need to issue a new determination. Our auditor, Marcum Asia CPAs LLP (“Marcum Asia”), is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. Our auditor is not headquartered in China or Hong Kong and was not identified in the PCAOB’s report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determination. As a result, we do not currently believe that the HFCAA will affect our company. While our auditor is registered with PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection, in the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in our securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and could ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist our securities.
The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCAA. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective. The SEC has also announced amendments to various annual report forms to accommodate the certification and disclosure requirements of the HFCAA. There could be additional regulatory or legislative requirements or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. The implications of these possible regulations in addition to the requirements of the HFCAA are uncertain, and such uncertainty could cause the market price of our securities to be materially and adversely affected. If, for whatever reason, the PCAOB is unable to conduct inspections or full investigations of our auditor, the Company could be delisted or prohibited from being traded over the counter earlier than would be required by the HFCAA. If our securities are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such delisting and prohibition would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our securities when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with potential delisting and prohibition would have a negative impact on the price of our securities. Also, such delisting and prohibition could significantly affect the Company’s ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and prospects.
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Inspections of audit firms that the PCAOB has conducted have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. If the PCAOB were unable to conduct inspections or full investigations of the Company’s auditor, investors in our securities would be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. In addition, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections or full investigations of auditors would make it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our shares to lose confidence in the audit procedures of our auditor and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you may lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from 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, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess technical, human and other resources that are similar to or greater than ours or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. 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, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the duration of the completion window, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, only $700,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that, upon closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the duration 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 fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business.
In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, 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 affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our rights and warrants will expire worthless.
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, 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 consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. Marcum Asia CPAs LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of this offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by our public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for the Company’s independent auditors), or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
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 (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy his obligations or that he has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per public share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
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If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a liquidator or a bankruptcy or other court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their duties to us or 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 insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy/insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.” As a result, a liquidator or a bankruptcy or other court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our directors may be viewed as having breached their duties to us or our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency 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 insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements and numerous complex tax laws. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
On January 24, 2024, the SEC adopted a series of new rules relating to SPACs (the “SPAC Rules”) requiring, among other items, (i) additional disclosures relating to SPAC business combination transactions; (ii) additional disclosures relating to dilution and to conflicts of interest involving sponsors and their affiliates in both SPAC initial public offerings and de-SPAC transactions; (iii) the use of projections by SPACs in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; and (iv) both the SPAC and the target company’s status as co-registrants on de-SPAC registration statements.
In addition, 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.
Compliance with the SPAC Rules and related guidance may increase the costs of, and the time needed to negotiate and complete an initial business combination and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete an initial business combination.
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Changes in international trade policies, tariffs and treaties affecting imports and exports may have a material adverse effect on our search for an initial business combination target or the performance or business prospects of a post-business combination company.
There have recently been significant changes to international trade policies and tariffs affecting imports and exports. Any significant increases in tariffs on goods or materials or other changes in trade policy could negatively affect our search for a target and/or our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Recently, the U.S. has implemented a range of new tariffs and increases to existing tariffs. In response to the tariffs announced by the U.S., other countries have imposed, are considering imposing, and may in the future impose new or increased tariffs on certain exports from the United States. There is currently significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations and tariffs. and we cannot predict whether, and to what extent, current tariffs will continue or trade policies will change in the future.
Tariffs, or the threat of tariffs or increased tariffs, could have a significant negative impact on certain businesses (either due to domestic businesses’ reliance on imported goods or dependence on access to foreign markets, or foreign businesses’ reliance on sales into the United States). In addition, retaliatory tariffs could have a significant negative impact on foreign businesses that rely on imports from the United States, and domestic businesses that rely on exporting goods internationally. These tariffs and threats of tariffs and other potential trade policy changes could negatively affect the attractiveness of certain initial business combination targets, or lead to material adverse effects on a post-business combination company. Among other things, historical financial performance of companies affected by trade policies and/or tariffs may not provide useful guidance as to the future performance of such companies, because future financial performance of those companies may be materially affected by new U.S. tariffs or foreign retaliatory tariffs, or other changes to trade policies. The business prospects of a particular target for a business combination could change even after we enter into a business combination agreement, as a result of tariffs or the threat of tariffs that may have a material impact on that target’s business, and it may be costly or impractical for us to terminate that business combination agreement. These factors could affect our selection of a business combination target.
We may not be able to adequately address the risks presented by these tariffs or other potential trade policy changes. As a result, we may deem it costly, impractical or risky to complete an initial business combination with a particular target or with a target in a particular industry or from a particular country. Consequently, the pool of potential target companies may be reduced, which could impair our ability to identify a suitable target and to complete an initial business combination. If we complete an initial business combination with such a target, the post-business combination company’s operations and financial results could be adversely affected as a result of tariffs or changes to trade policies, which may cause the market value of the securities of the post-business combination company to decline.
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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 above entitled “Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.”, the SEC’s adopting release with respect to the SPAC Rules provided guidance describing the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. Whether a SPAC is an investment company will be a question of facts and circumstances. 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. 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, we may have to change our operations, wind down our operations, or register as 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. |
We may also have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
| ● | registration as an investment company; |
| ● | adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
| ● | reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations. |
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We are mindful of the SEC’s investment company definition and guidance and intend to identify and complete an initial business combination with an operating business, and not with an investment company, or to acquire minority interests in other businesses exceeding the permitted threshold.
We do not believe that our anticipated activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account will initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank.
Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in securities or assets other than as described above. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended solely as a temporary depository for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the completion window; or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within the completion window, from the closing of this offering, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares.
Further, under the subjective test of an “investment company” pursuant to Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, even if the funds deposited in the trust account were invested in the assets discussed above, there is a risk that we could be deemed an investment company and subject to the Investment Company Act based on the length of time such funds are invested in such assets.
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We are aware of litigation claiming that certain SPACs should be considered to be investment companies. Although we believe that these claims were without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be deemed to be an investment company and thus subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our winding down our operations and our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights and warrants will expire worthless, and our public shareholders would also lose the possibility of an investment opportunity in a target company as well as any potential price appreciation in the combined company following a business combination.
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 (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of an initial business combination or our liquidation. As a result, following the liquidation of investments in the trust account, we will likely receive less interest on the funds held in the trust account than we would have had the trust account remained as initially invested, such that our public shareholders would receive less upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company than what they would have received had the investments not been liquidated.
The funds to be held in the trust account will, following this offering, be initially held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less, in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and in cash or cash like items (including demand deposit accounts) at a bank. However, 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 Efficiency, 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 an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. Following such liquidation, we will likely receive less interest on the funds held in the trust account than we would earn if the trust account remained invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, interest previously earned on the funds held in the trust account still may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, and certain other expenses as permitted. 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 an interest-bearing demand deposit at a bank could reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company as compared to what they would have received had the investments not been so liquidated.
Notwithstanding the measures set forth above, 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 to be an unregistered investment company, in which case we may be required to liquidate. 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. 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 an interest bearing demand deposit account or as cash or cash items at a bank, which could further reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company as compared to what they would have received had the investments not been so liquidated. 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 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.
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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, Israel-Hamas conflict and the recent escalation of 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, Israel-Hamas conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, including the involvement of the United States. 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 escalation of conflict in the Middle East, including the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, and in 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 escalation of conflict in the Middle East and Southwest Asia and subsequent sanctions or related actions, may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities or 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 extended 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 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 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.
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If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the completion window, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond 12 months before redemption from our trust account.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the completion window, the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind-up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the 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 we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.
As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their 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.
Claims may 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 $18,292.68 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 public shareholders to discuss company affairs with management, and the holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
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 discuss company affairs with management. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
Our efforts to identify a prospective initial business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify and acquire a business or businesses that can benefit from our management team’s established global relationships and operating experience. Our management team has extensive experience in identifying and executing strategic investments globally and has done so successfully in a number of sectors. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prohibits us from effectuating a business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations.
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Because we have not yet selected any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. In recent years, a number of target businesses have underperformed financially post-business combination. There are no assurances that the target business with which we consummate our initial business combination will perform as anticipated. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
We may seek business combination opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue a business combination outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this 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 ascertain or assess adequately all of the relevant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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 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 law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our rights and warrants will expire worthless.
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We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity or our board of directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
We may issue additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon the conversion of the founder shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained therein. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 488,940,000 and 45,500,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option and 675,000 Class B ordinary shares are forfeited) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amount does not take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares (which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we fail to consummate an initial business combination) concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preference shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth therein. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, except in connection with the conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares where the holders of such shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the trust account, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with public shares on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares; |
| ● | may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares; |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of Class A ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
| ● | 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, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
| ● | may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
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Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares (which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we fail to consummate an initial business combination) concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue ordinary or preference shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.00 per share or lower, at a price that approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time. The purpose of such issuances will be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity and capital to the post-business combination entity and to complete the business combination. Such arrangements result in costs particular to the business combination process that would not generally be incurred in a traditional IPO. Such agreements may be structured in a way intended to ensure a return on investment to the investor in return for funds that would be used to facilitate the completion of the business combination. 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 and could result in dilution to our existing shareholders. If we are not able to secure such financing and there are significant redemptions from our trust account, it is possible that we might not be able to complete an initial business combination.
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Since only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors, upon the listing of our shares on Nasdaq, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
After completion of this offering and prior to the closing of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
| ● | we have a board that includes a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of Nasdaq; and |
| ● | we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities. |
We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our rights and 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, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our rights and warrants will expire worthless.
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors, non-managing sponsor members or their respective affiliates or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, its manager, and our officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with or competitive with our sponsor, officers, directors, non-managing sponsor members or their respective affiliates or existing holders. Our directors also serve as officers and/or board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors 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 substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. 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 for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting our initial business combination — Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions 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 sponsor, officers, directors, non-managing sponsor members or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
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Since our sponsor, officers and directors, and any other holders of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor members, may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, Class B ordinary shares (up to of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised) for an aggregate purchase price of $ (or approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share). On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with Class B ordinary shares (up to of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Our public shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside of the trust account. In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000, or $10.00 per private unit.
Except in certain limited circumstances, no member of the sponsor (including the non-managing sponsor members) may transfer all or any portion of its membership units in the sponsor. The private units will be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the end of the completion window nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.
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. The incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
| ● | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
| ● | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
| ● | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; |
| ● | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding; |
| ● | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for 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. |
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We may only be able to complete 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 will provide us with $105,000,000 (or $120,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination.
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
| ● | solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or |
| ● | dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
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We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold. Our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisor or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our shareholders may not support.
In order to effectuate a business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, special purpose acquisition companies have extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, which requires the approval of holders of at least two-thirds (or, in the scenarios described below, 90%) of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. Amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any private warrants), 50% of the then outstanding private warrants (including the vote or written consent of ARC Group Securities LLC). In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require us to provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an 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. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
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The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares which are represented in person or by proxy and are voted at a general meeting of the company, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other special purpose acquisition companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of 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, and other than amendments relating to the provisions regulating the appointment and removal of directors and continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, which require a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company) may be amended by special resolution under Cayman Islands law. Except as specified above with respect to matters requiring a 90% majority, a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. Corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares which are represented in person or by proxy and are voted at a general meeting of the company. Our sponsor, who (assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering) will own 30% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), will 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 govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other special purpose acquisition companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
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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 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 our public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, or to fund the purchase of other companies. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our rights and warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Our sponsor will control the appointment of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, it will appoint all of our directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon closing of this offering, our sponsor (assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering) will own 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Accordingly, it may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. This potential concentration of influence could be disadvantageous to other shareholders with interests different from those of our sponsor. To the extent that any non-managing sponsor members acquire membership interests in the sponsor, they will have no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor. In addition, the founder shares, all of which are held by our sponsor, will entitle the holders to appoint all of our directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors during such time. Further, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. As a result, you will not have any influence over the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination or any influence over our continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination.
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If our sponsor purchases any units in this offering or if our sponsor purchases any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase its control. Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have 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 Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were appointed by our sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term for three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual or extraordinary general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our sponsor, because of its ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. In addition, since only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on directors prior to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination. Accordingly, our sponsor will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
We may not be able to complete an initial business combination because such initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements, including foreign investment regulations and review by government entities such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”), or may be ultimately prohibited.
Our initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements by governmental entities, or ultimately prohibited. For example, CFIUS has authority to review direct or indirect foreign investments in U.S. companies. Among other things, CFIUS is empowered to require certain foreign investors to make mandatory filings, to charge filing fees related to such filings, and to self-initiate national security reviews of foreign direct and indirect investments in U.S. companies if the parties to that investment choose not to file voluntarily. In the case that CFIUS determines an investment to be a threat to national security, CFIUS has the power to unwind or place restrictions on the investment. Whether CFIUS has jurisdiction to review an acquisition or investment transaction depends on — among other factors — the nature and structure of the transaction, including the level of beneficial ownership interest and the nature of any information or governance rights involved. For example, investments that result in “control” of a U.S. business by a foreign person are always subject to CFIUS jurisdiction. CFIUS’s expanded jurisdiction under the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 and implementing regulations that became effective on February 13, 2020 further includes investments that do not result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person but afford certain foreign investors certain information or governance rights in a U.S. business that has a nexus to “critical technologies,” “critical infrastructure” and/or “sensitive personal data.”
If a particular proposed initial business combination with a U.S. business falls within CFIUS’s jurisdiction, we may determine that we are required to make a mandatory filing or that we will submit to CFIUS review on a voluntary basis, or to proceed with the transaction without submitting to CFIUS and risk CFIUS intervention, before or after closing the transaction. CFIUS may decide to block or delay our proposed initial business combination, impose conditions with respect to such initial business combination or request the President of the United States to order us to divest all or a portion of the U.S. target business of our initial business combination that we acquired without first obtaining CFIUS approval, which may limit the attractiveness of, delay or prevent us from pursuing certain target companies that we believe would otherwise be beneficial to us and our shareholders. As a result, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete an initial business combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other special purpose acquisition companies which do not have any foreign ownership issues. In addition, certain federally licensed businesses may be subject to rules or regulations that limit foreign ownership.
The process of government review, whether by CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our initial business combination, our failure to obtain any required approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period required under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, including as a result of extended regulatory review of a potential initial business combination, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, our shareholders would miss the opportunity to benefit from an investment in a target company and the appreciation in value of such investment. Additionally, our warrants would be worthless.
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As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets or such attractive targets may not be interested to consummate a business combination with a SPAC due to a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs. 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 special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns (including a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs), 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.
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 initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank. Our cash held in these accounts may exceed any applicable Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“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.
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 the proxy statement with respect to the vote on an initial business combination include historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”). These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2027. 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. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not 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 business combination.
Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company
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 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 within a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the 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.
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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 only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for 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 the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding Class A 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 control of the target business.
We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
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.
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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/or 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 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.
Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in Foreign Countries
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may adversely affect us.
If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we pursue a target 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 jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
| ● | costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations; |
| ● | rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; |
| ● | complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
| ● | laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected; |
| ● | exchange listing and/or delisting requirements; |
| ● | tariffs and trade barriers; |
| ● | regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
| ● | local or regional economic policies and market conditions; |
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| ● | unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; |
| ● | challenges in managing and staffing international operations; |
| ● | longer payment cycles; |
| ● | tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
| ● | currency fluctuations and exchange controls; |
| ● | rates of inflation; |
| ● | challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
| ● | cultural and language differences; |
| ● | employment regulations; |
| ● | underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems; |
| ● | corruption; |
| ● | protection of intellectual property; |
| ● | social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances; |
| ● | regime changes and political upheaval; |
| ● | terrorist attacks, natural disasters, widespread health emergencies and wars; and |
| ● | deterioration of political relations with the United States. |
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such initial business combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction, which may result in taxes imposed on shareholders or warrant holders.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination or otherwise and, to the extent applicable, subject to requisite shareholder approval by special resolution under the Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (with respect to which only holders of Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote prior to our initial business combination), reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located or in another jurisdiction. The transaction may require a shareholder and/or warrant holder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder or warrant holder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity (or may otherwise result in adverse tax consequences). We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrant holders to pay such taxes. Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of our Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants after the reincorporation.
We may reincorporate in or transfer by way of continuation to another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
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We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which is charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in such country. 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.
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Risks Relating to our Management Team
We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their loss, or a reduction in the amount of time they can dedicate to our initial business combination, could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
The ownership interest of our sponsor may change, and our sponsor may divest its ownership interest in us before identifying a business combination, which could deprive us of key personnel and advisors.
Our sponsor is a limited liability company of which Brynner Chiam is the manager and holds sole voting and investment power (and approximately 94% ownership of the membership interests in our sponsor) with respect to the founder shares held of record by the sponsor, and all our officers and directors own individual economic interests in our sponsor. However, this may change as there is no contractual restriction on the sponsor or the manager’s ability to share, sell or otherwise dispose of part or all of the interests in our sponsor or held by our sponsor. As a result, there is a risk that our sponsor (or the manager) may divest its (or their or our officers’ and directors’) ownership or economic interests in us or in the sponsor before a business combination target is identified, which would likely result in the Company’s loss of certain key personnel. In addition, there can be no assurance that any replacement sponsor, key personnel or advisors would successfully identify a business combination target for us or, even if one is one so identified, successfully complete such business combination.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law.
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Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees.”
Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including other blank check companies, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and 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 sponsor, its manager, and our officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. We do not have employment contracts with our officers and directors that will limit their ability to work at other businesses. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior to completion of our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination and the order in which they pursue business combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors may pursue business combinations for blank check companies that it has sponsored in any order, which could result in its more recent blank check companies completing business combinations prior to its blank check companies that were launched earlier. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved. 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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
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For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor or one or more of our directors or officers or non-managing sponsor members, although we 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. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we or our shareholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our shareholders’ rights. See the section titled “Description of Securities — Certain Differences in Corporate Law — Shareholder Suits” for further information on the ability to bring such claims. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
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, are currently, or may become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including related to those companies or otherwise. This 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. Certain of those persons have been, are currently or may in the future become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including relating to the business affairs of such companies, transactions entered into by such companies, or otherwise. Any such litigation, investigations or other proceedings 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.
Members of our management team and affiliated companies may have been, and may in the future be, involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business.
Members of our management team have been (and intend to be) involved in a wide variety of businesses. Such involvement has, and may lead to, media coverage and public awareness. As a result, members of our management team and affiliated companies may have been, and may in the future be, involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business. Any such claims or investigations may be detrimental to our reputation and could negatively affect our ability to identify and complete an initial business combination and may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
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Our letter agreement with our sponsor, officers and directors may be amended without shareholder approval.
Our letter agreement with our sponsor, officers and directors contains provisions relating to transfer restrictions of our founder shares and private units, indemnification of the trust account, waiver of redemption rights and participation in liquidating distributions from the trust account. The letter agreement may be amended without shareholder approval (although releasing the parties from the restriction not to transfer the private units until the completion of our initial business combination will require the prior written consent of the representative). While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment to the letter agreement prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to the letter agreement. Any such amendments to the letter agreement would not require approval from our shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
Risks Relating to our Securities
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we 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) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the 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 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 apply to have our units listed on Nasdaq. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Following the date that the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be separately listed on Nasdaq. 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 Nasdaq listing standards, 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, we must maintain a minimum market value of listed securities (generally $50,000,000) 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, unless we decide to list on a different Nasdaq tier such as the Nasdaq Capital Market which has different initial listing requirements, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and we would be required to have a minimum of 400 round lot holders of our securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
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If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| ● | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| ● | reduced liquidity for our securities; |
| ● | a determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; |
| ● | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
| ● | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under the statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
In the event that New ARC fails to satisfy any of the listing requirements of Nasdaq or the NYSE, they may reject our listing application, and the parties may waive any closing condition in the initial business combination agreement that ordinary shares of New ARC be listed on Nasdaq or the NYSE at the closing of the initial business combination.
Following our initial business combination, we expect that the ordinary shares, public rights and public warrants of New ARC will be listed on either Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). To list these securities on Nasdaq or the NYSE, New ARC will be required to comply with initial listing requirements, including the minimum market capitalization standard, the corporate governance requirements and the minimum closing bid price requirement, among other requirements. In the event that New ARC fails to satisfy any of the listing requirements, Nasdaq or NYSE may reject New ARC’s listing application. Though the listing of New ARC’s ordinary shares on either Nasdaq or NYSE is expected to be a condition to the closing of our initial business combination, the parties may waive such closing condition and proceed to close, in which case the New ARC’s ordinary shares will likely instead be quoted on the OTC Markets. If the New ARC’s ordinary shares are not listed on Nasdaq or NYSE, it is likely to be more difficult to trade in or obtain accurate quotations as to the market price of the New ARC’s ordinary shares. As a result, New ARC could face significant adverse consequences. Please see “Risk Factor – 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.”
Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per founder share and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A ordinary share and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A ordinary shares 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 of approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon 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 101.8% (or $8.14 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering of $(0.14) (assuming a maximum redemption scenario) and the initial offering price of $8.00 per share considering the issuance of one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share for each right included in units. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.
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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 $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) 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 Class A ordinary share upon the completion of our initial business combination. The following table assumes that (i) our valuation is $147,750,000 (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 underwriters’ deferred fee), (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 impacts on our valuation at the time of the initial business combination, such as (i) the value of our public and private warrants, (ii) the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares, (iii) the initial business combination transaction costs (other than the payment of $1,575,000 of deferred underwriting commissions), (iv) any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers, (v) any equity issued to other third party investors, or (vi) the target’s business itself.
| Public shares | 10,500,000 | |||
| Founder shares | 4,500,000 | |||
| Representative shares | 420,000 | |||
| Private placement shares | 140,000 | |||
| Total shares | 15,560,000 | |||
| Total funds in trust available for initial business combination | $ | 103,425,000 | ||
| Public shareholders’ investment per Class A ordinary share(1) | $ | 10.00 | ||
| Sponsor’s investment per Class B ordinary share(2) | $ | 0.00556 | ||
| Initial implied value per public share(3) | $ | 9.85 | ||
| Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination(4) | $ | 6.65 |
| (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. |
| (2) | Sponsor’s investment per Class B ordinary share if the over-allotment is not exercised. The total investment in the equity of the company by the sponsor is $1,425,000, consisting of (i) $25,000 paid by the sponsor for the founder shares, (ii) $1,400,000 paid by the sponsor for 140,000 private units. For purposes of this table, the full investment amount is ascribed to the founder shares only. |
| (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) divided by the public shares issued of 10,500,000 (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and after deducting the underwriters’ deferred fee). |
| (4) | Implied value per share upon consummation of the initial business combination is calculated by dividing the total funds available for the initial business combination (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and after deducting the underwriters’ deferred fee) by the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately following such conversion of all founder shares. All founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis upon completion of our initial business combination (or earlier at the option of the holder). |
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Based on these assumptions, each Class A ordinary share would have an implied value of $6.65 per share upon completion of our initial business combination, representing an approximately 32.5% decrease from the initial implied value of $9.85 per public share. While the implied value of $6.65 per Class A 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 $10.00 per Class A ordinary share, the 4,500,000 Class A ordinary shares that the sponsor would own upon completion of our initial business combination (after automatic conversion of the 4,500,000 founder shares) would have an aggregate implied value of $45,000,000, the 140,000 Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units that the sponsor would own upon completion of our initial business combination would have an aggregate implied value of $1,400,000. As a result, even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary share 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 Class A ordinary shares after the initial business combination is as low as $0.31 per share (calculated by dividing the total amount invested by the sponsor for its founder shares and private placement units by the total number of Class A ordinary shares held by the sponsor following the offering). As a result, our sponsor is likely to earn a substantial profit on its investment in us upon disposition of its Class A ordinary shares even if the trading price of our Class A 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. The non-managing sponsor members will share in any appreciation of the founder shares through their membership interests in the sponsor if we successfully complete a business combination. Accordingly, non-managing sponsor members’ interests in the founder shares owned by them indirectly through their membership interests in the sponsor may provide them with an incentive to vote any public shares they own in favor of a business combination, and make a substantial profit on such interests, even if the business combination is with a target that ultimately declines in value and is not profitable for other public shareholders.
This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust for their public shares. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.
The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per public share.
Upon the closing of this offering and assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, our sponsor, will have invested in us an aggregate of $1,425,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $1,400,000 purchase price for the private units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per public share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 4,500,000 founder shares (5,175,000 founder shares if the overallotment is exercised in full) would have an aggregate implied value of $45,000,000 ($51,750,000 if the overallotment is exercised in full). Even if the trading price of our ordinary shares were as low as $0.31 per share, and the private warrants are worthless, the value of the founder shares and private shares would be equal to our sponsor’s aggregate initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is likely to be able to make a substantial profit on its investment in us at a time when our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, members of our management team, who own interests in our sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier 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. In addition, our non-managing sponsor members (if any) may have different interests than other public shareholders due to their additional upfront investment in the company and their membership interests in the sponsor.
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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 negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with the representative 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants underlying the units, include:
| ● | the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
| ● | prior offerings of those companies; |
| ● | our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
| ● | a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions; |
| ● | our capital structure; |
| ● | an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; |
| ● | general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and |
| ● | other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering size, price and terms of the Units 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, including as a result of geopolitical events like the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and economic impacts such as inflation. 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 courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs and the rights of shareholders will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary and other responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands.
The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders’ derivative action in a Federal court of the United States. For a more detailed discussion of the principal differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and, for example, the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities - Certain Differences in Corporate Law.”
Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like the company have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of the register of members of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.
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We have been advised by Mourant Ozannes (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, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore, investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.
It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.
In particular, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or any other applicable jurisdictions would recognize and enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States or entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands or any other applicable jurisdiction’s courts against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
For a more detailed discussion, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities - Certain Differences in Corporate Law.”
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 shares 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 shares repurchased by the corporation during a taxable year, net of the aggregate fair market value of certain new share issuances by the repurchasing corporation during the same taxable year.
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 guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. On June 28, 2024, the Treasury finalized certain of the proposed regulations (those relating to procedures for reporting and paying the Excise Tax). The remaining regulations (largely relating to the computation of the Excise Tax) remain in proposed form. The Treasury intends to finalize these proposed regulations at a later date and, until such time, taxpayers may continue to rely on the proposed regulations.
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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. However, we will not use the proceeds placed in the trust account, or the interest earned on the proceeds placed in the trust account, to pay for possible Excise Tax or any other fees or taxes that may be levied on the Company on any redemptions or share buybacks by the Company pursuant to any current, pending or further rules or laws, including without limitation any Excise Tax, prior to release of such funds from the trust account following our initial business combination. To the extent the Excise Tax is applicable, the amount of cash available 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.
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors, the rights of the holders of our Class B ordinary shares to appoint and remove directors prior to our initial business combination and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that the courts of the Cayman Islands will be the exclusive forums for certain disputes between us and our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for complaints against us or our directors, officers or 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 directors, officers or other employees 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.
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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’ 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.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain 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 such as the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary share and the warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share and one right to receive a one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share included in each unit could be challenged by the U.S. 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. Moreover, as discussed below, we may be a so-called PFIC (as defined below). For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders (as defined in the section titled “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders”), see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.” Moreover, even if the PFIC rules do not apply, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our Class A 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 Class A 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 “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences applicable to their specific circumstances when acquiring, owning or disposing of our securities.
Whether a redemption of Class A ordinary shares will be treated as a sale of such Class A ordinary shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on a shareholder’s specific facts.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a redemption of Class A ordinary shares will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of such Class A ordinary shares under Section 302(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the shareholder electing to redeem Class A ordinary shares (including any shares constructively owned by the holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. If such redemption is not treated as a sale of Class A ordinary shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the redemption will instead be treated as a corporate distribution of cash from us. For more information about the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the redemption of Class A ordinary shares, see the section entitled “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Efficiency, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or 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, (ii) adjusting the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement or (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder of public warrants if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
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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, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. With respect to any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, we note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Furthermore, Section 22 of 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. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce any provision limiting which federal or state courts in which such suits may be brought. Our exclusive forum provision does not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and holders of our warrants are not deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations. 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 and board of directors.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
If (i) we issue additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination, and (iii) the Market Value of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described below under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” 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.
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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 outstanding warrants at any time prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of our initial business combination and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption to the warrants holders and provided certain other conditions are met. We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of ordinary 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 ordinary 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 outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
Our warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing public warrants to purchase 10,500,000 of our Class A ordinary shares (or up to 12,075,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) 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 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), which will contain 140,000 private warrants, each exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50. In addition, if the sponsor makes any working capital loans, it may convert those loans into up to an additional 250,000 private units, at the price of $10.00 per unit, which units will contain up to 250,000 private warrants. To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
We may amend the terms of the rights in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public rights with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public rights. As a result, the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon the automatic conversion of a right could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Efficiency, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the rights agreement to the description of the terms of the rights and the rights agreement set forth in this prospectus or (ii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the rights agreement as the parties to the rights agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the rights, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public rights is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public rights. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public rights in a manner adverse to a holder of public rights if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public rights approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public rights with the consent of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public rights is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, convert the rights into cash or shares or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon the automatic conversion of a right.
Our rights agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our rights, which could limit the ability of right holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our rights agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the rights agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. With respect to any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, we note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the rights agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our rights shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our rights agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the rights 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 rights, 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 right holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such right holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such right holder. This choice-of-forum provision may limit a right 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 rights agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
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Our rights may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing 10,500,000 units that consist of one Class A ordinary share, one warrant and one right entitling the holder thereof to receive one fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of this offering. Additionally, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering, each such unit including a private right. In addition, if the sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $2,500,000 of the loans may be converted to private units, at the price of $10.00 per unit. To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon the automatic conversion of these rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such rights, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because each unit contains one right to receive one fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share, only rights representing whole shares may be exercised, and the units may be worth less than units of other SPACs.
Each unit contains one right to receive one fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share. If, upon conversion of the rights, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the right holder. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the rights upon completion of a business combination since the rights will be automatically converted in the aggregate for one fourth (1/4) of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a right to receive one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a right to receive one share.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands.
As holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands).
You will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares or certain exemptions are available.
If the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, holders of warrants will not be entitled to exercise such warrants and such warrants may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units.
We are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order.
If the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, under the terms of the warrant agreement, holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do so for cash and, instead, will be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.
In no event will warrants be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration or qualification is available.
If our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, not permit holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants to do so for cash and, instead, require them to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement or register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws.
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In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities (other than upon a cashless exercise as described above) or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.
You may only be able to exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis” under certain circumstances, and if you do so, you will receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
The warrant agreement provides that in the following circumstances holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do for cash and will, instead, be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act: (i) if the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement; (ii) if we have so elected and the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act; and (iii) if we have so elected and we call the public warrants for redemption.
If you exercise your public warrants on a cashless basis, you would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined in the next sentence) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
The grant of registration rights to our sponsor and other holders of our private units (and the component securities, as well as any securities underlying those component securities) may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our sponsor and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, holders of our private units and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the securities underlying the private units or holders of securities that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and their permitted transferees may demand that we register such units, shares, warrants or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the underlying warrants and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders, holders of our private units or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
General Risk Factors
We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a blank check company incorporated on October 9, 2025 under the laws of the Cayman Islands 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. 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.
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Past performance by our management team, our advisor and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.
Information regarding our management team, our advisor and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience and performance by our management team, our advisor and their respective affiliates and the businesses with which they have been associated, is not a guarantee that we will be able to successfully identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination, that we will be able to provide positive returns to our shareholders, or of any results with respect to any initial business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical experiences of our management team, our advisor and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or as indicative of every prior investment by each of the members of our management team, our advisor or their respective affiliates. The market price of our securities may be influenced by numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, and our shareholders may experience losses on their investment in our securities.
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.
We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
If we are 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 “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders”) of our Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on the status of an acquired company pursuant to a business combination and whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Depending on the particular circumstances the application of the start-up exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. In addition, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for any taxable year.
Moreover, if we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we may 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 provide such required information or that, if we elect to do so, we will do so timely, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants in all cases. We urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
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We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor internal controls attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30th before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31st. 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 until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30th, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. 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.
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.
The market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed in ways adverse to us and our management team. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These trends may continue into the future.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate 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.
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.
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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:
| ● | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
| ● | our ability to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
| ● | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our pool of prospective target businesses; |
| ● | 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 officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities; |
| ● | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| ● | the lack of a market for our securities; |
| ● | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
| ● | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or |
| ● | our financial performance following this offering. |
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.
In addition, statements that contain “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this prospectus. Although we believe that this information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, this information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.
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Use of proceeds
We are offering 10,500,000 units (or 12,075,000 units with the full exercise of the over-allotment option) 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.
| Without
Over-allotment Option | Over-allotment
Option Exercised | |||||||
| Gross proceeds | ||||||||
| Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) | $ | 105,000,000 | 120,750,000 | |||||
| Gross proceeds from private units offered in the private placement | $ | 1,400,000 | 1,400,000 | |||||
| Total gross proceeds | $ | 106,400,000 | 122,150,000 | |||||
| Offering expenses(2) | ||||||||
| Legal fees and expenses | $ | 225,000 | 225,000 | |||||
| Printing expenses | 30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
| FINRA expenses | 20,000 | 20,000 | ||||||
| SEC fees | 30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
| Nasdaq listing fees | 80,000 | 80,000 | ||||||
| Underwriter Legal Fees | 100,000 | 100,000 | ||||||
| Miscellaneous | 215,000 | 215,000 | ||||||
| Total offering expenses | $ | 700,000 | 700,000 | |||||
| Proceeds after offering expenses | $ | 105,700,000 | 121,450,000 | |||||
| Held in trust account | $ | 105,000,000 | 120,750,000 | |||||
| % of public offering size | 100 | % | 100 | % | ||||
| Not held in trust account | $ | 700,000 | 700,000 | |||||
The following table shows the use of the approximately $700,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account(3):
| Amount | % of Total | |||||||
| Accounting | $ | 50,000 | 7.1 | % | ||||
| Legal | 100,000 | 14.3 | % | |||||
| Audit | 100,000 | 14.3 | % | |||||
| Regulatory Reporting fees | 90,000 | 12.9 | % | |||||
| Management, Administrative and Office Space for 12 months | 240,000 | 34.3 | % | |||||
| Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance | 100,000 | 14.3 | % | |||||
| Working capital to cover miscellaneous | 20,000 | 2.9 | % | |||||
| Total | $ | 700,000 | 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 loans from our sponsor of up to $350,000 as described in this prospectus. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $700,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. |
| (3) | 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. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. |
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Nasdaq 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 $106,400,000 in gross proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus, or $122,150,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $105,000,000 ($10.00 per unit), or $120,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account in the United States with Efficiency acting as trustee, after deducting an aggregate of $700,000 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering. The proceeds held in the trust account will initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. We expect that the interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay taxes. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except for the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes and up to $100,000 to pay dissolution expenses, as applicable, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated 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. To the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our income taxes, we will not release funds from the trust account to pay such taxes, and we expect to make such payments from the funds held outside of the trust account.
The net proceeds released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may use the balance of the cash released from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, except in connection with the conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares where the holders of such shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the trust account, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with public shares on any initial business combination.
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We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated that are payable prior to the closing of our initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination that are payable 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 affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will reimburse an affiliate of our sponsor in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $350,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $700,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses.
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 officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use amounts 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 $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, will be offered an opportunity to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law.
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Dividend policy
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. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. 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 and we will only pay such dividend out of our profits or share premium (subject to solvency requirements) as permitted under Cayman Islands law. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any other share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a capitalization or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares held by our Sponsor immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as is necessary to maintain the number of founder shares at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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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 units, as further described in this prospectus and (iv) no value is attributed to the warrants (however, we may need to issue ordinary shares or convertible equity or debt securities in the circumstances described above, as we intend to target an initial business combination with a target company whose enterprise value is greater than the net proceeds of the offering and the sale of private units), and (B) assume the issuance of 10,500,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 12,075,000 Class A ordinary shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and 5,175,000 founder shares (up to 675,000 of which are assumed to be forfeited in the scenario in which the over-allotment option is not 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 (as further described in this prospectus). Further, the issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares may significantly dilute the equity interest of public shareholders, which dilution would even further increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares.
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 March 31, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offering | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Price of
$ |
25% of Maximum | 50% of Maximum | 75% of Maximum | 100% of Maximum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| units) | Redemption | Redemption | Redemption | Redemption | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Difference | Difference | Difference | Difference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| between | between | between | between | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTBV and | NTBV and | NTBV and | NTBV and | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offering | Offering | Offering | Offering | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTBV | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | NTBV | Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For each of the redemption scenarios above, the NTBV was calculated as follows:
| As of March 31, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0% Redemption | 25% Redemption | 50% Redemption | 75% Redemption | 100% Redemption | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | Without Over- allotment | With Over- allotment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Public offering price (considering the issuance of one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share for each right included in units) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net tangible book value per share before this offering | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Increase attributable to public shareholders and sale of the placement units | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dilution to public shareholders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| % of dilution to public shareholders | 101.8 | % | 101.8 | % | 28.8 | % | 28.6 | % | 37.8 | % | 37.6 | % | 50.5 | % | 50.4 | % | 69.6 | % | 69.5 | % | 101.8 | % | 101.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Tangible Book Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Numerator | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net tangible book deficit before this offering | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement units (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: Deferred underwriting fee | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: Over-allotment liability | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: redemptions (2) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class B ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class B ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Representative shares | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares of ordinary shares included in the placement units issued (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: shares subject to redemption | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (1) |
| 95 |
| (2) |
| (3) |
| (4) |
In addition to the potential dilution reflected in the table above, there are several material sources of future dilution that may occur following this offering. For example, prior to, in connection with, or after our initial business combination, we may issue additional ordinary shares or other equity securities to raise capital, to fulfill our obligations under working capital loans that we may obtain from our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates (should the lender elect to convert up to $2,500,000 of such loans into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit), or under an employee incentive plan that is intended to attract and retain management, employees and advisors. The issuance of additional ordinary or other equity securities may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering. If such issuances are made at prices below the market value or net tangible book value of our shares at the time of issuance, the equity interest of investors in this offering will be further diluted.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our sponsor, which holds our insider shares and the private units, and the public shareholders:
| Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price per Share | ||||||||||||||||||
| Holder | Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | ||||||||||||||||
| Insider Shares (1) | 4,500,000 | 25.3 | % | 25,000 | 0.02 | % | 0.006 | |||||||||||||
| Private Units (2) | 175,000 | 1.0 | % | 1,400,000 | 1.32 | % | 8.00 | |||||||||||||
| Public Shareholders (3) | 13,125,000 | 73.7 | % | 150,000,000 | 98.66 | % | 8.00 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 17,800,000 | 100 | % | 106,425,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Assumes no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 675,000 insider shares held by our sponsor. | |
| 2. | Includes 140,000 private units purchased by our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and the issuance of an additional 35,000 shares underlying the rights contained in the private units. | |
| 3. | Includes 10,500,000 public units purchased by our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering the issuance of an additional 2,625,000 shares underlying the rights contained in the public units. |
| 96 |
Capitalization
The following table sets forth our capitalization at March 31, 2026 and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our units in this offering and the sale of the private units 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:
| March 31, 2026 | ||||||||
| Capitalization | Actual | As Adjusted | ||||||
| Notes Payable to related party(1) | $ | 178,261 | $ | - | ||||
| Deferred underwriting commissions | - | - | ||||||
| Over-allotment liability | - | 112,298 | ||||||
| Deferred underwriting fee | - | 1,575,000 | ||||||
| Class A ordinary shares, subject to redemption; 0 shares actual and 10,500,000 shares which are subject to possible redemption(2) | - | 105,000,000 | ||||||
| Shareholder’s Equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and adjusted | - | - | ||||||
| Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; -0- shares issued or outstanding (actual); 560,000 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 10,500,000 shares subject to redemption) (as adjusted) | - | 56 | ||||||
| Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized (actual and adjusted); 5,175,000 shares issued and outstanding (actual); 4,500,000 shares issued and outstanding (as adjusted) (3) | 518 | 450 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 24,482 | - | ||||||
| Subscription receivable | (25,000 | ) | - | |||||
| Accumulated deficit | (92,302 | ) | (1,080,106 | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders’ equity (deficit) | (92,302 | ) | (1,079,600 | ) | ||||
| Total Capitalization | $ | 85,959 | $ | 105,607,698 | ||||
| (1) | The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any advances and loans received from our sponsor out of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private units. As of March 31, 2026, we have advanced $178,261 from our sponsor. |
| (2) | Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. |
| (3) | Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares and as adjusted amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and forfeiture of an aggregate of 675,000 founder shares. |
| 97 |
Management’s
discussion and analysis of
financial condition and results of operations
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated on October 9, 2025 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We may pursue an initial business combination in any business or industry. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the foregoing.
The issuance of additional shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares; |
| ● | may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares; |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of our Class A ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
| ● | 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; and |
| ● | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, 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 security is payable on demand; |
| ● | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding; |
| ● | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for 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. |
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at March 31, 2026, we had $0 in cash and deferred offering costs of approximately $163,426. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.
| 98 |
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 advances and $350,000 in promissory notes from our sponsor ($178,261 of which has been drawn down as of March 31, 2026).
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the units in this offering and the sale of the private units for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), after deducting offering expenses of approximately $700,000, will be $105,700,000 (or $121,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). $105,000,000 (or $120,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. The remaining approximately $700,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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 $700,000, 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. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any. 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. 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.
| 99 |
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $700,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) of proceeds held outside the trust account (assuming our offering expenses are as expected). We will use these funds to primarily 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, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.
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 prior to our initial business combination. 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. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we will repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use amounts held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $50,000 for accounting; $100,000 for legal fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $90,000 for regulatory reporting fees; $240,000 for office space and administrative services; approximately $100,000 for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance; and approximately $120,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves.
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.
| 100 |
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2027. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, 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:
| ● | staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; |
| ● | reconciliation of accounts; |
| ● | proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; |
| ● | evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; |
| ● | documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and |
| ● | 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.
| 101 |
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 initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. 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 October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares.
The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised.
The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000. The private units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private units (and the component securities, as well as any securities underlying those component securities) (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination (ii) will be entitled to registration rights and (iii) with respect to private warrants comprising part of the private units held by ARC Group Securities LLC and/or their designees, will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, advisor, or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account.
Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
We will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor loaned us funds in an aggregate amount of up to $350,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of this offering. As of March 31, 2026, we had borrowed $178,261 under the promissory note with our sponsor.
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 officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required on a non-interest basis. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use amounts held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
| 102 |
Any of the foregoing payments to our sponsor, repayments of loans from our sponsor or repayments of working capital loans prior to our initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private units, which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
As described herein, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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.
We will issue 50,000 Class A ordinary shares to Clear Street LLC for acting as the “qualified independent underwriter” in this offering.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of the date of this prospectus, 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 not conducted any 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, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) 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, (iii) 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 (iv) 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.
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Proposed business
We are a company incorporated on October 9, 2025 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to focus on industries that complement our management team’s background, and to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify and acquire a business. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses with an aggregate enterprise value of $700 million or greater, although, if we believe it is in the best interests of our shareholders, we may pursue a business combination with a target below that size.
We believe that the experience and capabilities of our management team will make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses, enhance our ability to complete a successful business combination, and bring value to the business post-business combination. Not only does our management team bring a combination of operating, investing, financial and transactional experience, but members of our management team have also worked closely together in the past at multiple operating companies and have successfully identified and closed two special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) business combinations. Our team has broad sector knowledge though their collective involvement across a variety of industries, as well as extensive global capital markets experience, with local and cross-border capabilities allowing access to different sectors of the capital markets.
Our Management Team
Our management team is led by Ian Hanna, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Jake Carney, our Chief Financial Officer.
Ian Hanna has served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since October 2025 and as our Chief Financial Officer from November 2025 to May 2026. Mr. Hanna is also the Chief Executive Officer of ARC Group Securities LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of ARC Group Limited, a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he has served as Partner since March 2025 and as a Managing Director since November 2021. Before joining ARC Group Limited, Mr. Hanna served as the Chief Executive Officer of Giga Carbon Neutrality, where he laid the foundation and led a global team through every aspect of the business to bring zero-emission transportation solutions to market. Previously, from March 2006 to February 2021, Mr. Hanna was an Engineer and People Leader at General Motors. During his 15-year tenure at General Motors, Mr. Hanna held assignments in the United States, South Korea, and China, where he contributed to the development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in areas such as performance, design, and manufacturing. With extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and technical innovation, Mr. Hanna has worked with industry-leading companies to secure strategic partnerships and drive growth. Mr. Hanna received a Master’s degree in Automotive / Manufacturing Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Jake Carney has served as our Chief Financial Officer since May 2026. Mr. Carney brings over 15 years of experience in the banking, investment advisory, and fintech industries. Mr. Carney has served as an in-house fundraising and consulting professional at Codebase Technologies, Kelpy, GetBee and Propway since June 2025, advising early-stage and growth-stage technology companies on capital raises and strategic transactions. From September 2022 to April 2025, Mr. Carney has served as the Managing Director of the UAE office of ARC Group (Dubai & Abu Dhabi), a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he established and led the UAE office, including strategic planning, budget ownership and governance to ensure alignment with the global objectives of ARC Group. Before joining ARC Group, Mr. Carney served as the Investment Director of Beehive Fintech – Dubai from December 2017 to August 2022, where he led origination and execution of investment opportunities for the platform, focusing on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), alternative credit and private investments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Prior to his tenure at Beehive, Mr. Carney served as an Investment Advisor at KBC Bank Ireland from March 2015 to August 2017, as a Financial Advisor at Bank of Ireland from November 2013 to March 2015, and as a Customer Service Representative at Bank of Ireland from December 2010 to November 2013. Mr. Carney holds a Professional Diploma in Financial Advice from the Institute of Banking at University College Dublin and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the Dublin Institute of Technology.
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Our Board of Directors
Our board of directors will include four members upon the commencement of trading of the units on Nasdaq. The board will be led by our Chairman, Ian Hanna, and will include Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo, and Jennifer Goforth. Each board member brings diversity of experience, perspective and industry contacts that when combined create a distinguished board of directors.
Daniel A. Mace, age 49, has served as a Director and Chief Financial Officer of Miluna Acquisition Corp since July 2025. Mr. Mace is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience in public accounting, financial consulting, and compliance services. From June 2022 to May 2024, Mr. Mace served as a Partner at BakerTilly US. Prior to that, Mr. Mace served at Henry & Horne LLP from December 1998 to May 2022 in roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Accountant, Senior Accountant, Manager, Senior Manager, and ultimately Partner. During his tenure at these firms, Mr. Mace managed all aspects of client relationships for a wide range of accounts, including corporate, small business, and individual clients. He oversaw financial statement preparation, including full-disclosure GAAP and tax basis statements, and consulted and advised clients on financial matters. Mr. Mace has also served as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Casa Grande Friends of the Arts Inc. since December 2014 and as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Pinal 40, Inc. since July 2009. Mr. Mace received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Arizona State University. He has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant through the Arizona State Board of Accountancy since July 2001 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Patrik Hriczo, age 35, is an AAT-qualified finance professional with over 15 years of progressive financial leadership experience across the automotive, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Since January 2026, Mr. Hriczo has served as a Management Accountant at YDS Group, where he delivers management accounts and financial reporting within a group environment, supporting leadership in strategic financial planning and operational decision-making. From July 2024 to April 2025, Mr. Hriczo served as a Management Accountant at Caterers Choice, and from January 2024 to June 2024, Mr. Hriczo served as Senior Management Accountant at Killgerm Group Ltd. From March 2022 to October 2023, Mr. Hriczo served as Group Financial Controller at Autozone UK Ltd, where he directed all financial operations and reporting across multiple business sites and teams. From October 2022 to March 2023, Mr. Hriczo concurrently served as Financial Controller at Cars2 Ltd, where he produced monthly and annual financial reports, budgets, and cash flow forecasts for board consumption and oversaw the internal controls framework. Prior to these roles, Mr. Hriczo served as a Dealership Accountant at Citroen SB Wakefield from October 2019 to October 2022, as an Accountant at Stratstone BMW Leeds from March 2019 to October 2019, as an Accountant at Northside Truck & Van Ltd (Mercedes-Benz) from February 2013 to March 2019, and as an Accounts Administrator at House of Fraser from December 2008 to February 2013. Mr. Hriczo holds an AAT qualification from the Association of Accounting Technicians.
Jennifer Goforth, age 54, is a transformation executive with over 30 years of automotive and mobility industry experience. Since 2025, Ms. Goforth has served as Principal and Independent Senior Advisor of Goforth and Konkel Advisory LLC, where she advises leading automotive and mobility clients on aftersales strategy, OEM-dealer ecosystem transformation, and commercial operations. From February 1998 to December 2025, Ms. Goforth held positions of increasing responsibility at General Motors Company. Most recently, from April 2024 to November 2025, she served as Executive Director, Customer Care & Aftersales — Sales & Marketing, where she led a $10.1B global revenue portfolio across GM brands with full P&L accountability, directing commercial strategy, sales, marketing, and lifecycle planning, and delivering 20% service parts revenue growth through data-driven go-to-market redesign. From January 2022 to March 2024, she served as Executive Director, Global Aftersales Engineering & Service Operations, and from August 2020 to December 2021, Ms. Goforth served as Director, Global Aftersales Mechanical Engineering. From November 2016 to July 2020, Ms. Goforth served as Chief Engineer, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, China, a GM joint venture. From April 2014 to November 2016, she served as Director, Global Accessories at General Motors, and from January 2011 to April 2014, she served as Chief Engineer and Vehicle Line Director, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at General Motors — Korea. From January 2009 to January 2011, Ms. Goforth served as Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman, Global Product Development. Ms. Goforth has served as Board Chair of I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) since 2024 and as a board member since 2022. She has also served as a Trustee of the SAE Foundation since 2021. Ms. Goforth received a Master of Science in Engineering from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. She is the recipient of the 2025 SAE International Humanitarian Award.
With respect to the above, past performance of our management team or any of their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of (i) success with respect to a business combination that may be consummated, (ii) the ability to successfully identify and execute a transaction or (iii) the ability to assess the risk of potential transactions. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team or their affiliates as indicative of our future performance. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and us, as well as the priority and preference that such entity has with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
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Sponsor Information
Our sponsor is a Cayman Islands limited liability company, which was recently formed on October 15, 2025 to invest in our company. Although our sponsor is permitted to undertake any activities permitted under the Limited Liability Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, the sponsor’s limited liability company agreement and other applicable law, our sponsor’s business is focused on investing in our company. Brynner Chiam is the manager of the Sponsor and has sole voting and investment discretion with respect to the securities held by the sponsor. Our sponsor is presently owned by Brynner Chiam (owning approximately 94%) and ARC Group Limited (owning approximately 6%) following the sale of ARC Group Limited of approximately 94% of the total membership interests of the sponsor outstanding on June 18, 2026 to Mr. Chiam.
In addition, our officers and our independent directors will receive for their services as a director 10,000 founder shares each by direct transfer from our sponsor. Ian Hanna will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Jake Carney will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Daniel A. Mace will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor, Patrik Hriczo will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor and Jennifer Goforth will receive 10,000 founder shares from our sponsor. Other than members of our management team who are members of our sponsor, none of the other members of our sponsor will participate in our company’s activities.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our promoters and 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:
| Entity/Individual | Amount
of Compensation to be Received or Securities Issued or to be Issued |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid | ||
| Sponsor | 4,500,000 Class B ordinary shares(1) | $25,000 | ||
| 140,000 Private placement units to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering | $1,400,000 | |||
| $20,000 per month, commencing on the first date on which our securities are listed on Nasdaq | Office space, administrative and shared personnel support services |
| Up to $350,000 | Repayment of loans made to us to cover offering related and organizational expenses | |||
| Up to $2,500,000 in working capital loans, which loans may be converted into private placement units of the post-business combination entity at the price of $10.00 per private placement unit | Working capital loans to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination | |||
| FDB I, our officers, our directors, or our or their affiliates | 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 | ||
| Finder’s, advisory, consulting or success fees | Payment for any services rendered in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account
We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions | |||
| Holders of Class B ordinary shares | Anti-dilution protection upon conversion into Class A ordinary shares at a greater than one-to-one ratio | Issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion | ||
| ARC
Group Securities LLC(2) and Clear Street LLC |
420,000 representative shares (as defined below), including 370,000 representative shares to ARC Group Securities LLC and 50,000 representative shares to Clear Street LLC | Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering | ||
Deferred underwriting commission equal to one and one-half percent (1.5%) of the gross proceeds of this offering, payable in cash upon the closing of our initial business combination. |
Underwriter compensation in connection with this offering |
| (1) | Assumes the full forfeiture of 675,000 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
| (2) | ARC Group Securities LLC, the sole book-runner and representative of the underwriters, beneficially owns 370,000 representative shares and Ian Hanna, the CEO of ARC Group Securities LLC and our CEO, is deemed a promoter of our company. Clear Street LLC, the co-manager, beneficially owns 50,000 representative shares. |
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The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our sponsors, 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. See the section titled “Dilution” for more information. See also the sections titled “Summary — Sponsor Information,” “Summary — Conflicts of Interest”, “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination — Since our sponsor, officers and directors, and any other holders of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor members, may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination”, “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” for more information.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. Our public shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion.
If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our public shareholders may suffer significant dilution. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, the cashless exercise of the private warrants would further increase the dilution to our public shareholders.
Pursuant to (i) a letter agreement to be entered into among us, our sponsor, directors and officers and (ii) the private unit purchase agreement between us and the sponsor, each has agreed to restrictions on its ability to transfer, assign, or sell the private units, as summarized in the table below.
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| Subject Securities | Expiration Date | Natural
Persons and Entities Subject to Restrictions |
Exceptions to Transfer Restrictions | |||
| Private units (including component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) | Locked up until the closing of our initial business combination
|
Sponsor Ian Hanna Daniel A. Mace Patrik Hriczo Jennifer Goforth |
Pursuant to the private unit purchase agreement between us and the sponsor, the securities are not transferable or saleable except in each case (a) to the subscriber’s officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of the Subscriber’s officers or directors, any members of the sponsor, or any affiliates of the 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) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor; (f) in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to the consummation of a Business Combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and by the same agreements entered into by the sponsor and the Subscriber with respect to such securities. | |||
| Any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any units, ordinary shares, founder shares or warrants | Locked up until the closing of the initial business combination. | Sponsor Ian Hanna Daniel A. Mace Patrik Hriczo Jennifer Goforth |
The transfer restrictions are pursuant to the letter agreement entered into by and among the sponsor and our directors and officers and can be waived with the prior written consent of ARC Group Securities LLC.
Our sponsor, officers and directors are also subject to separate lock-up period on their founder shares and private units pursuant to the letter agreement described in the immediately preceding paragraphs. |
Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. In addition, in order to facilitate our initial business combination 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 units 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.
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Business Strategy
Our acquisition strategy focuses on identifying and acquiring a business that aligns with and enhances the extensive expertise of our management team. We will leverage our sponsor’s robust network and our management team’s comprehensive industry relationships as a leader in SPAC advisory and investment banking to generate a pipeline of compelling business combination opportunities. Following the completion of this offering, our management team will immediately commence a disciplined process of target identification, due diligence, and transaction evaluation.
Our management team, in collaboration with ARC Group Securities LLC, and its affiliates, brings proven expertise in:
| ● | identifying, structuring, and executing strategic business acquisitions and divestitures; |
| ● | successfully closing transactions in varying economic climates and market conditions across multiple jurisdictions; |
| ● | cultivating and maintaining relationships with business owners, institutional investors, and executive leadership teams; |
| ● | orchestrating complex transaction negotiations across diverse business environments; |
| ● | securing strategic capital partnerships and navigating financial markets; |
| ● | providing operational leadership, developing effective corporate strategies, and attracting and developing exceptional talent; |
| ● | implementing post-acquisition integration strategies and synergy realization plans; and |
| ● | driving sustainable growth through strategic initiatives, operational improvements, and calculated geographic and product line expansions. |
While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to focus on industries that complement our management team’s background, and to capitalize on the ability of our officers and directors to identify and acquire a business or businesses consistent with the experience of our management team and affiliates of our sponsor. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will focus on these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines.
| ● | Companies with an attractive competitive position |
| ● | Companies with knowledgeable management teams with a proven track record and relevant industry experience |
| ● | Companies with high revenue growth or the potential for high revenue growth |
| ● | Companies with the ability to generate future profits and free cash flows |
| ● | Companies with scalability across multiple geographies |
| ● | Companies that benefit from being a publicly traded company |
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.
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Competitive Strengths
Distinguished Leadership Team with Extensive SPAC Expertise and Public Market Transaction Experience
Our leadership team brings over five years of combined experience in investment banking, advisory, and capital markets execution, with particular specialization in SPAC and cross-border public listings. This experience covers the full SPAC lifecycle, from sponsor formation and IPO execution to target identification, due diligence, negotiation, and successful business combination closings. Through the leadership role at ARC Group Limited and ARC Group Securities LLC, our executive has advised or led more than 10 public market transactions, representing an aggregate transaction value exceeding $5.6 billion across a range of industries and geographies. These transactions have included listings on Nasdaq and NYSE, spanning sectors such as technology, healthcare, industrial innovation, and sustainability. At ARC Group Securities LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, the leadership team established and operates a full-service investment banking platform focused on firm-commitment underwritings and SPAC advisory mandates. In parallel, ARC Group Limited, headquartered in Shanghai with a global presence across Asia, the Middle East, and North America, provides direct access to high-quality private companies and institutional investors, enabling efficient cross-border capital formation. This combination of proven transaction experience, global connectivity, and regulatory expertise positions our company to effectively identify, evaluate, and execute business combinations that deliver sustainable long-term value for shareholders.
Record of Identifying and Securing Proprietary Deal Flow Optimized for SPAC Transactions
The principal of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, through his role at his firm and affiliates, have consistently maintained competitive positions in SPAC league tables for SPAC IPO and completed de-SPAC transactions. This distinguished position stems from our team’s cultivated network of relationships with private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, family offices, investment banks, and industry executives that generate exclusive access to off-market opportunities. Our proprietary deal sourcing methodology combines quantitative screening with qualitative assessment to identify businesses with the optimal characteristics for successful SPAC transactions: strong growth profiles, defensible market positions, experienced management teams, and clear paths to value creation in the public markets. This access to premium deal flow, coupled with our reputation for execution excellence, positions us as a preferred partner for high-quality acquisition targets.
Demonstrated Success in Executing Transactions with High-Growth Assets Across International Markets
Our management team brings a global perspective and operational expertise across diverse international markets. We have successfully completed transactions spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and emerging markets, navigating complex cross-border regulatory environments, cultural nuances, and market-specific dynamics. This global transaction experience is particularly valuable in identifying undervalued growth opportunities outside saturated domestic markets. Our team possesses specialized knowledge in conducting thorough due diligence on international targets, structuring transactions to mitigate currency and geopolitical risks, and implementing post-acquisition integration strategies that respect local market dynamics while implementing global best practices. We have demonstrated particular expertise in identifying emerging market champions poised for global expansion and North American companies with untapped international growth potential. This cross-border transaction capability significantly expands our addressable market of potential acquisition targets beyond domestically-focused competitors.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information about the target and its industry which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
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The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds available for us to use to complete another business combination.
Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement.
We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window and do not hold a shareholder vote 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, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of our public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per public share (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), without taking into account any interest or other income earned on such funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors, which may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
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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. There is no limit on the number of extensions that we may seek; however, we do not expect that it will be necessary 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 and our private units will be worthless.
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Even if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private units 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. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our sponsor, officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the founder shares and private units may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
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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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which such officer or director has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, such officer or director will honor such officer’s or director’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
We believe our management team’s significant operating and transaction experience and relationships will provide us with a substantial number of potential initial business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team and our advisor have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through the activities of our management team and advisor sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, the reputation of our management team for integrity and fair dealing with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions.
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This network has provided our management team with a flow of referrals that has resulted in numerous transactions which were proprietary or where a limited group of investors were invited to participate in the sale process. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team will provide us important sources of investment opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business combination candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
We have not contacted any of the prospective target businesses that our management team in their prior SPACs had considered and rejected as target businesses to acquire. However, we may contact such targets subsequent to the closing of this offering if we become aware that such targets are interested in a potential initial business combination with us and such transaction would be attractive to our shareholders. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private units 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.
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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which such officer or director has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, such officer or director will honor such officer’s or director’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
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Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock or shares in the target business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses and market and other uncertainties in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed initial business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
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While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of 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 Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th.
In addition, after completion of this offering and prior to the closing of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $105,000,000 assuming no redemptions (or $120,750,000 assuming no redemptions and if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer a target business a variety of options, such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting our initial business combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the foregoing. 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.
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If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies, or for working capital.
We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We may pursue an initial business combination in any business or industry. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely affect a target business.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by our public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our proxy materials or tender offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsors, officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and private investment funds. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates of which they become aware through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the track record and business relationships of our officers and directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction.
Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account.
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We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of a finder’s fee is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Evaluation of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
| ● | subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and |
| ● | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services. |
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
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We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
| ● | We issue ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our ordinary shares then outstanding (other than in a public offering); |
| ● | Any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest earned on the trust account (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of ordinary shares could result in an increase in outstanding ordinary shares or voting power of 5% or more; or |
| ● | The issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company; (ii) the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote; (iii) the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination; (iv) other time and budget constraints of the company; and (v) additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.
Permitted Purchases of Our Securities
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may purchase public shares, rights or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation or duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgment that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
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Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares, rights or warrants in such transactions.
The purpose of any such transactions could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination, or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 164.98 promulgated by the SEC.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Additionally, in the event our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates were to purchase public shares, rights 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/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may purchase public shares, rights or warrants from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; |
| ● | if our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates were to purchase public shares, rights or warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; |
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; |
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| ● | our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and |
| ● | we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items: |
| ● | the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates, along with the purchase price; |
| ● | the purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates; |
| ● | the impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; |
| ● | the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates; and |
| ● | the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. |
Please see “Risk Factors — If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares, public rights or public warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants.”
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any units, Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
Our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
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Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules), as described above under the heading “Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination.” Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. Cayman Islands law also requires shareholder approval for certain transactions, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and statutory mergers under the Companies Act (other than a merger between the company and a 90% subsidiary of the company). So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s shareholder approval rules.
The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above are contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended by a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting so long as we offer redemption in connection with such amendment. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained.
If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
| ● | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and |
| ● | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
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If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors and ARC Group Securities LLC have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares, representative shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions), (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares and private shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreement of our sponsor, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
| ● | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
| ● | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemption pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
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We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by our public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.
Our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
Limitation on Redemption Upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our 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.
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Delivering Share Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As described above, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares a fee of approximately $100 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to submit or tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until the end of the completion window.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only the duration of the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our rights or warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, although they will entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. However, if our sponsor or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted completion window.
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Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any units, Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $700,000 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 not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $2,500,000 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. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. Marcum Asia CPAs LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of this offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for the Company’s independent auditors), or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
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In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $700,000 from the proceeds of this offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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 $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
If we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency 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 estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy/insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.” As a result, a liquidator or bankruptcy or other court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing themselves 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.
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Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to applicable law and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination and if We Fail to Complete Our Initial Business Combination.
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
| Redemptions
in Connection with our Initial Business Combination |
Other
Permitted Purchases of Public Shares by our Affiliates |
Redemptions
if we fail to Complete an Initial Business Combination | ||||
| Calculation of redemption price | Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for 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 (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause to be unable to satisfy any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. If our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount, then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. | |||
| Impact to remaining shareholders | The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, who will bear the burden of the interest withdrawn in order to pay our taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account). | If the permitted purchases described above are made, there would be no impact to our remaining shareholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. | The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial shareholders, who will be our only remaining shareholders after such redemptions. |
Comparison of This Offering to Those 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 | |||
| Escrow of offering proceeds | $105,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Efficiency acting as trustee. | Approximately $[*] of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering, 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. | ||
| Investment of net proceeds | $105,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units held in trust will initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. | 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. | ||
| Receipt of interest on escrowed funds | Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, 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. | ||
| Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our 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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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Trading of securities issued | The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC 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. | No trading of the units or the underlying Class A ordinary shares, rights 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. | ||
| We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the 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 information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | ||||
| Exercise of the warrants | The warrants cannot be exercised until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. | 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. | ||
| Election to remain an investor | We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by law 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. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. | 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 45 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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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Business combination deadline | If we have not completed 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 (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | If an acquisition has not been completed within the completion window, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. | ||
| Release of funds | Except for the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes, if any, none of the funds held in trust will be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our income taxes, we will not release funds from the trust account to pay such taxes, and we expect to make such payments from the funds held outside of the trust account. | 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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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Delivering share certificates in connection with the exercise of redemption rights | We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. | Many blank check companies provide that a shareholder can vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating that such shareholder is seeking to exercise its redemption rights. After the business combination is approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for delivery of its share certificates to verify ownership. | ||
| 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 provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares without our prior consent. However, we would not restrict our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. | Many 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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Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other special purpose acquisition companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well-established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess financial, technical, human and other resources that are similar to or greater than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with the exercise of redemption rights by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our issued and outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either or both of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Facilities
We currently utilize office space at 398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306, Tempe, Arizona 85281, provided by an affiliate of our sponsor. We will reimburse such affiliate of our sponsor in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have two officers: Mr. Hanna and Mr. Carney. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may conduct an initial business combination with because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2027 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.
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Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. 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 Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacities as such.
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Management
Officers, Directors and Director Nominees
Our officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Ian Hanna | 42 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Jake Carney | 37 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Daniel A. Mace | 49 | Independent Director Nominee | ||
| Patrik Hriczo | 35 | Independent Director Nominee | ||
| Jennifer Goforth | 54 |
Independent Director Nominee |
Ian Hanna has served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since October 2025 and as our Chief Financial Officer from November 2025 to May 2026. Mr. Hanna is also the Chief Executive Officer of ARC Group Securities LLC, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of ARC Group Limited, a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he has served as Partner since March 2025 and as a Managing Director since November 2021. Before joining ARC Group Limited, Mr. Hanna served as the Chief Executive Officer of Giga Carbon Neutrality, where he laid the foundation and led a global team through every aspect of the business to bring zero-emission transportation solutions to market. Previously, from March 2006 to February 2021, Mr. Hanna was an Engineer and People Leader at General Motors. During his 15-year tenure at General Motors, Mr. Hanna held assignments in the United States, South Korea, and China, where he contributed to the development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in areas such as performance, design, and manufacturing. With extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and technical innovation, Mr. Hanna has worked with industry-leading companies to secure strategic partnerships and drive growth. Mr. Hanna received a Master’s degree in Automotive / Manufacturing Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
The Board believes Mr. Hanna is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive and varied deal experience throughout his career, including his prior special purpose acquisition company experience.
Jake Carney has served as our Chief Financial Officer since May 2026. Mr. Carney brings over 15 years of experience in the banking, investment advisory, and fintech industries. Mr. Carney has served as an in-house fundraising and consulting professional at Codebase Technologies, Kelpy, GetBee and Propway since June 2025, advising early-stage and growth-stage technology companies on capital raises and strategic transactions. From September 2022 to April 2025, Mr. Carney has served as the Managing Director of the UAE office of ARC Group (Dubai & Abu Dhabi), a global investment bank and management consultancy firm, where he established and led the UAE office, including strategic planning, budget ownership and governance to ensure alignment with the global objectives of ARC Group. Before joining ARC Group, Mr. Carney served as the Investment Director of Beehive Fintech – Dubai from December 2017 to August 2022, where he led origination and execution of investment opportunities for the platform, focusing on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), alternative credit and private investments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Prior to his tenure at Beehive, Mr. Carney served as an Investment Advisor at KBC Bank Ireland from March 2015 to August 2017, as a Financial Advisor at Bank of Ireland from November 2013 to March 2015, and as a Customer Service Representative at Bank of Ireland from December 2010 to November 2013. Mr. Carney holds a Professional Diploma in Financial Advice from the Institute of Banking at University College Dublin and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the Dublin Institute of Technology.
The Board believes Mr. Carney is qualified to serve as Chief Financial Officer based on his extensive experience advising early-stage and growth-stage technology companies on capital raises and strategic transactions and capital markets advisory background.
Daniel A. Mace, age 49, has served as a Director and Chief Financial Officer of Miluna Acquisition Corp since July 2025. Mr. Mace is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience in public accounting, financial consulting, and compliance services. From June 2022 to May 2024, Mr. Mace served as a Partner at BakerTilly US. Prior to that, Mr. Mace served at Henry & Horne LLP from December 1998 to May 2022 in roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Accountant, Senior Accountant, Manager, Senior Manager, and ultimately Partner. During his tenure at these firms, Mr. Mace managed all aspects of client relationships for a wide range of accounts, including corporate, small business, and individual clients. He oversaw financial statement preparation, including full-disclosure GAAP and tax basis statements, and consulted and advised clients on financial matters. Mr. Mace has also served as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Casa Grande Friends of the Arts Inc. since December 2014 and as a Volunteer Board Member and Treasurer of Pinal 40, Inc. since July 2009. Mr. Mace received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Arizona State University. He has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant through the Arizona State Board of Accountancy since July 2001 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants.
The Board believes Mr. Mace is qualified to serve as a director based on his extensive experience in public accounting and financial consulting, his expertise in financial statement preparation and compliance, and his demonstrated leadership in managing client relationships and overseeing firm operations.
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Patrik Hriczo, age 35, is an AAT-qualified finance professional with over 15 years of progressive financial leadership experience across the automotive, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Since January 2026, Mr. Hriczo has served as a Management Accountant at YDS Group, where he delivers management accounts and financial reporting within a group environment, supporting leadership in strategic financial planning and operational decision-making. From July 2024 to April 2025, Mr. Hriczo served as a Management Accountant at Caterers Choice, and from January 2024 to June 2024, Mr. Hriczo served as Senior Management Accountant at Killgerm Group Ltd. From March 2022 to October 2023, Mr. Hriczo served as Group Financial Controller at Autozone UK Ltd, where he directed all financial operations and reporting across multiple business sites and teams. From October 2022 to March 2023, Mr. Hriczo concurrently served as Financial Controller at Cars2 Ltd, where he produced monthly and annual financial reports, budgets, and cash flow forecasts for board consumption and oversaw the internal controls framework. Prior to these roles, Mr. Hriczo served as a Dealership Accountant at Citroen SB Wakefield from October 2019 to October 2022, as an Accountant at Stratstone BMW Leeds from March 2019 to October 2019, as an Accountant at Northside Truck & Van Ltd (Mercedes-Benz) from February 2013 to March 2019, and as an Accounts Administrator at House of Fraser from December 2008 to February 2013. Mr. Hriczo holds an AAT qualification from the Association of Accounting Technicians.
The Board believes Mr. Hriczo is qualified to serve as a director based on his extensive experience in financial management and reporting across complex, multi-site businesses, and his deep expertise in internal controls, regulatory compliance, and financial systems.
Jennifer Goforth, age 54, is a transformation executive with over 30 years of automotive and mobility industry experience. Since 2025, Ms. Goforth has served as Principal and Independent Senior Advisor of Goforth and Konkel Advisory LLC, where she advises leading automotive and mobility clients on aftersales strategy, OEM-dealer ecosystem transformation, and commercial operations. From February 1998 to December 2025, Ms. Goforth held positions of increasing responsibility at General Motors Company. Most recently, from April 2024 to November 2025, she served as Executive Director, Customer Care & Aftersales — Sales & Marketing, where she led a $10.1B global revenue portfolio across GM brands with full P&L accountability, directing commercial strategy, sales, marketing, and lifecycle planning, and delivering 20% service parts revenue growth through data-driven go-to-market redesign. From January 2022 to March 2024, she served as Executive Director, Global Aftersales Engineering & Service Operations, and from August 2020 to December 2021, Ms. Goforth served as Director, Global Aftersales Mechanical Engineering. From November 2016 to July 2020, Ms. Goforth served as Chief Engineer, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, China, a GM joint venture. From April 2014 to November 2016, she served as Director, Global Accessories at General Motors, and from January 2011 to April 2014, she served as Chief Engineer and Vehicle Line Director, Battery Electric Vehicle Architectures at General Motors — Korea. From January 2009 to January 2011, Ms. Goforth served as Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman, Global Product Development. Ms. Goforth has served as Board Chair of I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) since 2024 and as a board member since 2022. She has also served as a Trustee of the SAE Foundation since 2021. Ms. Goforth received a Master of Science in Engineering from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. She is the recipient of the 2025 SAE International Humanitarian Award.
The Board believes Ms. Goforth is qualified to serve as a director based on her extensive experience in the automotive and mobility industries, including nearly three decades of operational and executive leadership at a Fortune 5 company, and her active board leadership as Chair of a national organization.
Past performance of our management team or their respective affiliates is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team or their affiliates as indicative of our future performance. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and us, as well as the priority and preference that such entity has with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors will consist of four (4) members and will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on such matters during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to these rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares may be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. 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. The term of office of the first class of directors will expire at our first annual general meeting. Currently there are no directors appointed to the first class of directors. The term of office of the second class of directors, which will consist of Patrik Hriczo, Daniel A. Mace and Jennifer Goforth, will expire at the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, which will consist of Ian Hanna, will expire at the third annual general meeting.
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Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Director Independence
Nasdaq 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 who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Upon the commencement of the trading of our units on Nasdaq, we expect to have four “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board of directors expects to determine that Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo and Jennifer Goforth are “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
As of the date of this prospectus, none of our officers has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on Nasdaq through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor $20,000 per month for office space, secretarial, administrative and support services provided to us and members of our management team. As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “The Offering — Limited payments to insiders”, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of theirs, will be entitled to certain payments including, but not limited to, reimbursement 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. In addition, we have agreed, pursuant to the administrative services and indemnification agreement with our sponsor relating to the monthly payment for office space and administrative services described above, that we will indemnify our sponsor from any claims arising out of or relating to this offering or the company’s operations or conduct of the company’s business or any claim against our sponsor alleging any expressed or implied management or endorsement by our sponsor of any of the company’s activities or any express or implied association between our sponsor and the company or any of its affiliates, which agreement will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account. Additionally, these individuals will be eligible to receive a transfer or reallocation of founder shares for any extraordinary services rendered in order to identify or effectuate the consummation of our initial business combination. We may pay cash compensation to our independent directors for services rendered to us. Additionally, we may pay consulting, success, advisory, or finder’s fees to our sponsor, our officers or directors, our advisors, or affiliates thereof in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed initial business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
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We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the commencement of the trading of our units on Nasdaq, our board of directors will establish two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules, the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit 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 and will have the composition and responsibilities described below.
Audit Committee
Upon the commencement of the trading of our units on Nasdaq, our board of directors will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo and Jennifer Goforth will serve as the members of our audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo and Jennifer Goforth are each independent.
Daniel A. Mace will serve as the chairman of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Mace qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| ● | assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
| ● | pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the independent registered public accounting firm have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; |
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| ● | setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the independent registered public accounting firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; |
| ● | meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and |
| ● | reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. |
Compensation Committee
Upon the commencement of the trading of our units on Nasdaq, our board of directors will establish a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Jennifer Goforth, Patrik Hriczo, and Daniel Mace. Jennifer Goforth will serve as chair of the compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have a compensation committee of at least two members, all of whom must be independent. Jennifer Goforth, Patrik Hriczo, and Daniel Mace are each independent. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| ● | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our chief executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our chief executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our chief executive officer based on such evaluation; |
| ● | reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to board approval of all of our other officers; |
| ● | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| ● | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
| ● | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
| ● | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; |
| ● | producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and |
| ● | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, 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.
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Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605I(2) of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by our board of directors. Our board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Daniel A. Mace, Patrik Hriczo and Jennifer Goforth. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.
The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our shareholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for appointment at the next annual general meeting (or, if applicable, an extraordinary general meeting). Our shareholders that wish to nominate a director for appointment to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
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, our board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on 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 Ethics
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our Code of Ethics as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics and the charters of the committees of our board of directors will be provided without charge upon request from us. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” If we make any amendments to our Code of Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or Nasdaq rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form S-1 or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
| ● | duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole; |
| ● | duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose; |
| ● | duty to not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion; |
| ● | duty to exercise authority for the purpose for which it is conferred and a duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders; |
| ● | duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and |
| ● | duty to exercise independent judgment. |
In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge, skill and experience of that director.
| Individual | Entity | Entity’s Business | Affiliation | |||
| Ian Hanna | ARC Group Securities LLC | Broker-dealer | Chief Executive Officer | |||
ARC Group Limited ARC Group Securities Acquisition II |
Advisory Firm | Partner | ||||
| Jake Carney | Codebase Technologies | Digital Banking Solutions | In-House Fundraising | |||
| Kelpy | Bio-Plastics Manufacturer | In-House Fundraising | ||||
| GetBee | Tech Commerce Platform | In-House Fundraising | ||||
| Propway | Embedded Property Platform | In-House Fundraising | ||||
| Daniel A. Mace | Miluna Acquisition Corp Case Grande Friends of the Arts Inc Pinal 40, Inc |
Non-profit Arts Center
Philanthropic Organization |
CFO & Director
Board Member & Treasurer Volunteer Board Member/Treasurer | |||
| Jennifer Goforth | Goforth and Konkel Advisory | Automotive & Mobility Advisory | Principal & Independent Senior Advisor | |||
| Patrik Hriczo | YDS Group | Dental Care and Modern Dentistry | Management Accountant |
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position at the expense of the company. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, 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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which such officer or director has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, such officer or director will honor such officer’s or director’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
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Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
| ● | Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. |
| ● | 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, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. Please see the table directly above for a description of our management’s other affiliations. |
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| ● | Our initial shareholders purchased founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private units in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares, public rights and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and the private shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, the private units will expire worthless. Furthermore, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our officers and director nominees will own ordinary shares or warrants directly or indirectly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. |
| ● | Our 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. Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $1,425,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares (or approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share) and the $1,400,000 purchase price for the private units (or $10.00 per unit), which may be exercised on a cashless basis. Accordingly, our management team, which owns interests in our sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier 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 and if our sponsor were required to pay cash to exercise the private warrants. |
| ● | Certain members of our management team may receive compensation upon consummation of our initial business combination, 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 as such compensation will not be received unless we consummate such business combination. |
| ● | Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. |
| ● | In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur 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. |
| ● | Similarly, if we agree to pay our sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our 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 any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination. |
| ● | We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors; 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 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. |
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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, advisor, or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account.
We cannot assure you that any of the above-mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and private shares, and they and the other members of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares and any shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination, aside from shares they may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act, which would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, actual fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We expect to 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.
Our officers and directors have agreed, and any persons who may become officers or directors prior to the initial business combination will agree, to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.
Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
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.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we will agree to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters will agree to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
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Principal shareholders
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 Class A 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 officers, directors and director nominees; and |
| ● | all our officers and directors 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.
On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 (up to 964,286 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). Following and as a result of that capitalization and issuance of additional founder shares, the sponsor is deemed to have purchased the founder shares for approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share.
Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. The post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that 675,000 founder shares have been surrendered to us for no consideration, and that there are 15,560,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.
| Number of Class A Ordinary Shares | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares in Proportion to Total Ordinary Shares Outstanding | Number of Class B Ordinary Shares | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Class B Ordinary Shares in Proportion to Total Ordinary Shares Outstanding | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1) | Beneficially Owned | Before Offering | After Offering | Beneficially Owned | Before Offering | After Offering | ||||||||||||||||||
| Directors and Executive Officers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ian Hanna(4) | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jake Carney | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| Daniel A. Mace | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jennifer Goforth | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| Patrik Hriczo | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| All Directors and Executive Officers as a group | - | - | - | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5% Holders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FDB I (2) (3) | - | - | * | 4,500,000 | 100 | % | 28.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| * | Less than one percent |
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following is c/o ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, 398 Mill Avenue, Suite 306, Tempe, Arizona 85281. |
| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of 4,500,000 founder shares (assuming no over-allotment), classified as Class B ordinary shares, and 140,000 private placement shares, which are classified as Class A ordinary shares. The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.” |
| (3) | FDB
I, or, the Sponsor, is the record holder of the 5,175,000 founder shares reported herein before closing of the Offing, which includes
up to 675,000 founder shares that will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’
over-allotment option is exercised and the record holder of the 4,500,000 founder shares, which assumes the underwriters’ over-allotment
option is not exercised and 140,000 private placement shares reported herein after closing of the Offering. |
| (4) | Interests shown do not include the 420,000 representative shares, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised, which are classified as Class A ordinary shares. |
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Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering) will beneficially own 30% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the appointment and removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands), and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, or $1,400,000 in the aggregate, in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
The private units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights. A portion of the purchase price of the private units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $10,500,000 (or $12,075,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the private units will expire worthless. The private units are subject to the transfer restrictions described below.
The Sponsor and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units
Until the completion of our initial business combination, the founder shares and any securities issued upon conversion thereof and the private units (including any component securities thereof and any securities underlying those component securities) are subject to the transfer restrictions contained in the letter agreement we entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors, as described below.
For purposes of the letter agreement, “transfer” means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect: (i) sale, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecation, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or other disposition of, or agreement to dispose of, such security; (ii) establishment or increase of a put equivalent position, or liquidation or decrease of a call equivalent position, within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act; (iii) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of securities, in cash or otherwise; or (iv) public announcement of any intention to effect any of the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of the founder shares and the private units, including the securities comprising such units, are permitted: (i) to our officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of our officers or directors, any members or partners of our sponsor or their affiliates, any affiliates of our sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates; (ii) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such individual, or to a charitable organization; (iii) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death; (iv) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (v) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement or otherwise in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (vi) in the event of our liquidation prior to completion of an initial business combination; (vii) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor; or (viii) in the event of our liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property following completion of our initial business combination; provided that, in the case of clauses (i) through (v) and (vii), the permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement with us agreeing to be bound by the applicable transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement, including provisions relating to voting, the trust account and liquidating distributions.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities), which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and (iii) units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of our initial business combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering.
Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full and $2,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private units, we will be obligated to register up to 5,955,000 Class A ordinary shares. The number of Class A ordinary shares includes (i) 5,175,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 140,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private units, (iii) 140,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private warrants, (iv) 250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units issued upon conversion of working capital loans and (v) 250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the working capital warrants.
The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, ARC Group Securities LLC may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, ARC Group Securities LLC may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Certain relationships and related party transactions
On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 (up to 964,286 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised).
On June 18, 2026, ARC Group Limited sold approximately 94% of its equity membership interests in the sponsor to Brynner Chiam.
The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units).
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to written agreements, to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a price of $10.00 per unit, or $1,400,000 in the aggregate, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, advisor, or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account.
We will reimburse an affiliate of our sponsor in an amount equal to $20,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor may loan us funds in an aggregate amount of up to $350,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of this offering.
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 officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required on a non-interest basis. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use amounts held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
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We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law.
Any of the foregoing payments to our sponsor, repayments of loans from our sponsor or repayments of working capital loans prior to our initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private units, which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
As described herein, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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.
We will issue 50,000 Class A ordinary shares to Clear Street LLC for acting as the “qualified independent underwriter” in this offering.
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Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval or ratification of “related party transactions.” A “related party transaction” is any consummated or proposed transaction or series of transactions: (i) in which the company was or is to be a participant; (ii) the amount of which exceeds (or is reasonably expected to exceed) the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of the company’s total assets at year-end for the prior two completed fiscal years in the aggregate over the duration of the transaction (without regard to profit or loss); and (iii) in which a “related party” had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related parties” under this policy will include: (i) our directors, nominees for director or officers or any person who has served in such roles since the beginning of the most recent fiscal year, even if he or she does not currently serve in that role; (ii) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities; (iii) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person; and (iv) any other person who maybe a “related person” pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Pursuant to the policy, the audit committee will consider (i) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders and (v) if the related party is a director or an immediate family member of a director, the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account:
| ● | Repayment of up to an aggregate of $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
| ● | Reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us by an affiliate of our sponsor, in an amount equal to $20,000 per month; |
| ● | Payment of consulting, success or finder fees to our independent directors, advisor, or their respective affiliates in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination; |
| ● | We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a salary or fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions; |
| ● | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating 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 officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
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Description of securities
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which will be adopted upon the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each as well as 5,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Public Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant and one right to receive one-quarter of one Class A ordinary share at the closing of our business combination. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A 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 the company’s Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. For example, if a warrant holder holds one-half of one warrant to purchase a Class A ordinary share, such warrant will not be exercisable. If a warrant holder holds two halves of one warrant, such whole warrant will be exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share.
The Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units are expected to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
In no event will the Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering. If the 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 information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option.
Private Units
The private units (including the component securities of such private units as well as any securities underlying such component securities) have terms and provisions that are identical the units sold in this offering. The price of the private units was determined in negotiations between our sponsor and the underwriter for this offering, with reference to the prices paid by initial shareholders for such units in special purpose acquisition companies which have recently consummated their initial public offerings.
If we do not consummate an initial business combination within the completion window, the proceeds from the sale of the private units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private units (and the component securities) will expire worthless.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender at the time of the business combination. The units would be identical to the private units sold in the private placement.
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Each of the units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans shall be identical to the private units. Following the expiration of the lock-up described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units” with respect to the private units, units issuable upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans and their respective component securities, such securities will be transferable, assignable or saleable, subject to an effective registration statement covering such securities or an applicable exemption from registration.
Ordinary Shares
Prior to the date of this prospectus, there were 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding, all of which were held of record by our initial shareholders, so that our initial shareholders (assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering) will own 30% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. Upon the closing of this offering, 15,560,000 of our ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding surrender for no consideration of 675,000 founder shares) comprising:
| ● | 10,500,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying public units issued as part of this offering; |
| ● | 140,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the private units to be sold in the private placement; |
| ● | 420,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the underwriters; and |
| ● | 4,500,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders. |
If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units).
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. However, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing these matters prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as required by law. Unless otherwise specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as outlined above) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (other than the provisions referred to above) and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares entitled to vote and voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available.
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Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A 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 Class A 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. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term.
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. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or general meetings or appoint directors other than to ensure that the company has at least one director at all times. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares, public rights and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Unlike many special purpose acquisition companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, 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 prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many special purpose acquisition companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting (noting that the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting may be decided on a poll, and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained). However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisor or our or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary or a special resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require that at least five clear days’ notice will be given of any general meeting.
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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to 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. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors and ARC Group Securities LLC have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares, representative shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares and private shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
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 (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, officers and directors 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 sponsor or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are 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 public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein.
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Founder Shares
The founder shares are Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A 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 (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights; (iii) our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (A) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (b) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, (C) 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, 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 such time period and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account and (D) vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction), (iv) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and (v) prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands).
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or saleable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the completion of our initial business combination. Up to 675,000 founder shares will be surrendered to us for no consideration depending on the exercise of the over-allotment option.
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Register of Members
Under the Companies Act, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:
| ● | the names and addresses of the members and a statement of the shares held by each member which distinguishes each share by its number (so long as the share has a number); |
| ● | the amount paid, or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member; |
| ● | the number and category of shares held by each member; |
| ● | whether each relevant category of shares held by a member carries voting rights under the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and if so, whether such voting rights are conditional; |
| ● | the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and |
| ● | the date on which any person ceased to be a member. |
For these purposes, “voting rights” means rights conferred on shareholders, including the right to appoint or remove directors, in respect of their shares to vote at general meetings of the company on all or substantially all matters. A voting right is conditional where the voting right arises only in certain circumstances.
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 5,000,000 preference shares and will provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be 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 will be 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 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.
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Warrants
Public Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a 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 two 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 liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A 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 Class A 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 and we will not be obligated to issue a Class A ordinary share upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary share 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. 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 no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. 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 Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
We are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than [ ] business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within [ ] business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (60) business day after the closing of our initial business combination, 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. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, 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.
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Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the 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 (the “30-day redemption period”); and |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “— Redemption Procedures — Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of our initial business combination and ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A Ordinary Shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of Ordinary 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 Ordinary 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 Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
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), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Redemption procedures
Anti-dilution Adjustments. If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding ordinary shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering and (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A 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 outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, or (d) 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 Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.
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If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
Whenever the number of Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds (including from such issuances and this offering), 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 of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described above under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A or Class B ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A or Class B ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our issued and outstanding Class A or Class B ordinary shares), 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 in connection with which we are dissolved, 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 the Class A or Class B ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of Class A or Class B ordinary shares or other securities 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 “Alternative Issuance”).
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Efficiency, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or 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, (ii) adjusting the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement, (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants or (iv) to provide for the delivery of the Alternative Issuance. All other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants, except that amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the private warrants and working capital warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any private warrants or working capital warrants) solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants or working capital warrants (including the vote or written consent of ARC Group Securities LLC with respect to the private warrants).
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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 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 certified or official bank check payable to us, 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 Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A 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.
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 located in the County 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.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Private Warrants
The private warrants and working capital warrants will be identical to the warrants sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private warrants and working capital warrants (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights. Amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the private warrants or working capital warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any private warrants or working capital warrants) solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants or working capital warrants (including the vote or written consent of ARC Group Securities LLC with respect to the private warrants). All other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants.
Rights
Each holder of a right will receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with the initial business combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of an initial business combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Class A ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into Class A ordinary share basis, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive the 1/4 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. More specifically, the right holder will be required to indicate its election to convert the rights into underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to us.
We will not issue fractional Class A ordinary shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with Cayman Islands law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of four in order to receive Class A ordinary shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window and we liquidate and dissolve, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds from the trust account with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Efficiency, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The rights agreement requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding rights in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the holders of the rights.
Private Placement Units
The private placement units and working capital units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement units and working capital units (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
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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. A Cayman Islands exempted company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. The payment of cash dividends following completion of our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time and will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition at such time. There is no certainty we will be in a position to, or decide to, pay cash dividends after completing any business combination. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a share capitalization or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends following completion of our initial business combination may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent, Rights Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our Class A ordinary shares, rights agent and warrant agent for our warrants is Efficiency. We have agreed to indemnify Efficiency in its roles as transfer agent, rights agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity. Efficiency has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against the any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.
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) so as to form a single surviving company.
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve and enter into 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 votes of shareholders, who, being entitled to do so, attend and vote at the applicable 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, provided the parent company is the surviving entity and a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of each subsidiary company to be merged unless that 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. 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 also 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) there are no reasons why it would be against the public interest to allow 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 consolidation 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.
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Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Act provides certain limited appraisal rights for dissenting shareholders to be paid the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation in certain circumstances if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, where such rights apply, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give a 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 the shareholder’s 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 authorized 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 the shareholder’s intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of the shareholder’s 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 the shareholder’s 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 must (and any dissenting shareholder may) file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value of all dissenting shares 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. A shareholder who dissents must do so in respect of all shares that that person holds in the constituent company. Upon the giving of a notice of dissent under paragraph (iii) above, the shareholder to whom the notice relates shall cease to have any of the rights of a shareholder except the right to be paid the fair value of that person’s shares and certain rights specified in the Companies Act. 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, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement,” which may be tantamount to a merger. Schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies.
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, (i) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its creditors or any class of them, a majority in number of such creditors or class of creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent 75% in value of such creditors or class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting summoned for that purpose; and (ii) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its shareholders or any class of them, shareholders who represent 75% in value of the company’s shareholders or class of shareholders, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a 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:
| ● | 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; |
| ● | the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question; |
| ● | the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and |
| ● | 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.” |
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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 U.S. corporations.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and approved (accepted) by holders of 90% in value of the shares for which the offer has been made, the offeror may, within a two-month period after that approval, by notice in writing, 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 within one month of the notice from the offeror, 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. Mourant Ozannes (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 of 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:
| ● | a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or ultra vires (beyond the scope of its authority); |
| ● | 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 |
| ● | 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.
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 Mourant Ozannes (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.
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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:
| ● | annual reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Act; |
| ● | an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection and can be kept outside of the Cayman Islands; |
| ● | an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
| ● | an exempted company may issue shares with no par value; |
| ● | an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 30 years in the first instance); |
| ● | an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
| ● | an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and |
| ● | 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 completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolutions. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a special resolution is a resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority (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 at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll, and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained). The provisions regulating the appointment and removal of directors and continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting. Other than as described above, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that special resolutions must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting (noting that the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained).
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Our initial shareholders, who will (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering) collectively own 30% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:
| ● | If we have not completed 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 (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; |
| ● | Prior to our initial business combination, we may not, except in connection with the conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares where the holders of such shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the trust account, issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with public shares on any initial business combination; |
| ● | If a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; |
| ● | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the 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; |
| ● | If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with an 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 (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares; |
| ● | We will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations; and |
| ● | Only holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the right to vote on appointing or removing directors or continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (as further described herein), prior to the closing of our initial business combination. |
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 directors, officers or other employees 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.
Anti-Money Laundering — 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 and/or proliferation financing or 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, and/or if any person has frozen the funds of anyone involved in proliferation financing, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands (“FRA”) or a nominated officer, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct including without limitation, money laundering or proliferation financing, (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the FRA, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property or (iii) the FRA, pursuant to the Proliferation Financing (Prohibition) Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to details of any frozen funds or economic resources or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements of the relevant United Nations Security Council measures. 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 or 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.
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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, its Agents and/or service providers 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 FRA, or other applicable governmental or regulatory authorities (without notifying the shareholder that such report has been made or information has been so provided); such a report or disclosure shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise, 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.
Economic Substance - Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands, together with several other non-European Union jurisdictions, have introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union and the OECD as to offshore structures engaged in certain activities which attract profits without real economic activity. The International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act (as amended) (the “Substance Act”) came into force in the Cayman Islands in January 2019, introducing certain economic substance requirements for in-scope Cayman Islands entities which are engaged in certain geographically mobile business activities (“relevant activities.”) As we are a Cayman Islands exempted company, compliance obligations include filing annual notifications, in which we need to state whether we are carrying out any relevant activities and if so, whether we have satisfied economic substance tests to the extent required under the Substance Act. It is anticipated that the company will not be engaging in any “relevant activities” prior to the consummation of our initial business combination and will therefore not be required need to meet the economic substance requirements tests or will otherwise be subject to more limited substance requirements. Failure to satisfy applicable requirements may subject us to penalties under the Substance Act.
Data Protection in the Cayman Islands - Privacy Notice
We have certain duties under the Data Protection Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands and any regulations, codes of practice, or orders promulgated pursuant thereto (the “DPA”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.
Privacy Notice
Introduction
This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the company you will provide us with certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPA (“personal data”).
For the purposes of this privacy notice, the “company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refers to the company and its affiliates and/or delegates, and “you” or “your” means the shareholder and also includes any individual connected to the shareholder, in each case except where the context requires otherwise.
We are committed to processing personal data in accordance with the DPA. In our use of personal data, we will be characterized under the DPA as a “data controller,” whilst certain of our service providers, affiliates, and delegates may act as “data processors” under the DPA. These service providers may process personal data for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.
By virtue of your investment in the company, we and certain of our service providers may collect, record, store, transfer, and otherwise process personal data by which individuals may be directly or indirectly identified. We may combine personal data that you provide to us with personal data that we collect from, or about you. This may include personal data collected in an online or offline context including from credit reference agencies and other available public databases or data sources, such as news outlets, websites and other media sources and international sanctions lists.
Your personal data will be processed fairly and for lawful purposes, including (a) where the processing is necessary for us 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 we are subject, or (c) where the processing is for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us or a third party to whom the data are disclosed where we consider that, on balance, our (or their) legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights, freedoms or legitimate interests. 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 our 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.
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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 appropriate legal agreements are put in place with the recipient of that data.
Shareholder Data
We will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations to which we are subject. We 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.
In our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPA, while our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPA or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.
We may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification, credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to the shareholder’s investment activity.
Who this Affects
If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate shareholder (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 in the company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit the content of this privacy notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.
How the Company May Use Your Personal Data
The company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:
| (i) | for the performance of our contractual rights and obligations, including without limitation, under any purchase, subscription and/or underwriting agreements and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; | |
| (ii) | for compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations (such as compliance with anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing, financial sanctions, FATCA/CRS requirements, addressing requests from governmental, regulatory, tax and law enforcement authorities, beneficial ownership and maintaining statutory registers); | |
| (iii) | our legitimate interests or those of a third party where we consider that, on balance, our (or their) legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights, freedoms or legitimate interests; and/or | |
| (iv) | where you otherwise consent to the processing of personal data for any other specific purpose. |
Should we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we will contact you.
Why We May Transfer Your Personal Data
We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPA. We may transfer your personal data to certain third parties, who will process your personal data on our behalf, including third party service providers that we appoint or engage to assist with the company’s management, operation, administration and legal, governance and regulatory compliance. In certain circumstances, we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They, in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.
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We anticipate disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain entities located outside the US, the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area) which jurisdictions may not have data protection laws equivalent to the DPA. This may be necessary for one of a number of reasons, including for the performance of our contractual rights and obligations, under an agreement with a third party that is in your interests, or in connection with international cooperation arrangements between governmental, regulatory, tax and law enforcement authorities.
The Data Protection Measures We Take
Any transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPA.
We and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
We shall notify you of any personal data breach in accordance with the DPA.
Rights of Individual Data Subjects
Individual data subjects have certain data protection rights, including the right to:
| ● | be informed about the purposes for which your personal data are processed; |
| ● | access your personal data and receive information about its use; |
| ● | stop direct marketing; |
| ● | stop or restrict the processing of your personal data, subject to certain exemptions; |
| ● | have incomplete or inaccurate personal data corrected; |
| ● | be informed of a personal data breach (unless the breach is unlikely to be prejudicial to you); |
| ● | complain to the Data Protection Ombudsman; and |
| ● | require us to delete your personal data in some limited circumstances. |
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 calling +1 (345) 946-6283 or by email at info@ombudsman.ky.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint and remove 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 and obtaining the support of our sponsor.
Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares and preference 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 and preference 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.
Extraordinary General Meetings
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that extraordinary general meetings may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman or if requested in writing by members entitled to exercise at least 30% of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested.
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Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that shareholders seeking to bring business before our annual general meeting, or to nominate candidates for appointment as directors at our annual general meeting must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a shareholder’s notice will need to be received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual general meeting. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a shareholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our shareholders from bringing matters before our annual general meeting or from making nominations for directors at our annual general meeting. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the shareholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of us.
Written Resolutions
Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our shareholders may be effected by a duly called annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting or by written resolution passed in accordance with the Companies Act.
Classified Board of Directors
Our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three year terms. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preference shares, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time by an ordinary resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. Prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors. Our board of directors may, by a vote of a majority of our directors then in office, appoint any person to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after this offering we will have 15,560,000 (or 17,135,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering (10,500,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 12,075,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any Class A ordinary shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the outstanding founder shares (4,500,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 5,175,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all of the outstanding 140,000 private shares included in the private units will be restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) 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 (ii) 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.
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Persons who have beneficially owned restricted 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:
| ● | 1% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 155,600 shares immediately after this offering (or 171,350 shares if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option); or |
| ● | the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A 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:
| ● | the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
| ● | the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
| ● | 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 |
| ● | 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 units, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities), which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and (iii) private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of our initial business combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full and $2,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private units, we will be obligated to register up to 5,955,000 Class A ordinary shares. The number of Class A ordinary shares includes (i) 5,175,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 140,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private units, (iii) 140,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private warrants, (iv) 250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units issued upon conversion of working capital loans and (v) 250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the working capital warrants.
The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. The registration rights granted to the underwriter are limited to one demand and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of this offering with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the private units and the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Listing of Securities
We intend to apply to have our units listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “FJDIU” commencing on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FJDI,” “FJDIR” and “FJDIW,” respectively.
Taxation
The following summary of Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to an investment in our units, 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 considerations relevant to an investment in our ordinary shares and rights, 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 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.
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax, gift tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands.
No stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on the issue of shares by, or any transfers of shares of, Cayman Islands companies (except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands). There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
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.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants, the units or the Class A ordinary shares. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant, a unit or an ordinary share may be stampable if executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands.
We have been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, have applied for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in substantially the following form:
The Tax Concessions Act
(as amended)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the Tax Concessions Act (as amended), the following undertaking is hereby given to ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”):
| 1. | 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 |
| 2. | 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: |
| 2.1 | On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or |
| 2.2 | by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in the Tax Concessions Act (as amended). |
These concessions shall be for a period of 30 years from the 13th day of October 2025.
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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 Class A ordinary share and 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 Class A ordinary share, right or warrant components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to holders of Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Code. This discussion assumes that the Class A ordinary shares and the redeemable warrant will trade separately and that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our Class A 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 (or any component thereof) by a prospective investor in light of its particular circumstances, including:
| ● | our initial shareholders, the sponsor, officers or directors; |
| ● | banks, financial institutions or financial services entities; |
| ● | broker-dealers; |
| ● | taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market tax accounting rules; |
| ● | S-Corporations; |
| ● | tax-exempt entities; |
| ● | individual retirement accounts or other tax deferred accounts; |
| ● | governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof; |
| ● | insurance companies; |
| ● | regulated investment companies; |
| ● | real estate investment trusts; |
| ● | expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States; |
| ● | except where specifically indicated, 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; |
| ● | persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction; |
| ● | persons required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement; |
| ● | U.S. Holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
| ● | controlled foreign corporations; or |
| ● | 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 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, Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants who or that is, for United States federal income tax purposes:
| ● | an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
| ● | 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; |
| ● | an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| ● | 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, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AS WELL AS THE EFFECT OF ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.
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Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of 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 Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant, 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 agree to 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 Class A ordinary share and 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 own tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each Class A ordinary share and 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 Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and 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, Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 such as 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 own 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 Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A 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.
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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 Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below) only if our Class A 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 own tax advisors regarding the availability of such lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 more than one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants based upon the then fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 a Class A ordinary share, one right or one warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) reduced, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, by any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. Long-term capital gain realized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder (subject to the PFIC rules described below) 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 a Class A 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 Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities — Class A Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale or exchange of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption or purchase by us does not qualify as a sale of Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the Class A 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.
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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 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 Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares may 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 Class A 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 in us generally will depend on the particular facts and circumstances applicable to such 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, which shareholder 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 Class A ordinary shares.
If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption or purchase by us of any Class A 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 Class A 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 own 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 Class A ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent (1%)) or more of the Class A ordinary shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of Class A ordinary shares, and such 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 a Class A ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a Class A 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 which portion 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrants.
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It is also possible that a cashless exercise may 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 the fair market value of the 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 Class A 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 which portion is allocated to such warrants, 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 Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant.
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 own 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 to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants.”
Due to the lack of clarity under current law regarding the treatment of an exercise of a warrant after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant, there can be no assurance as to which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant as described above.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of certain distributions to holders of our Class A ordinary shares. 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. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
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.
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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, as noted above, 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. In addition, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for any 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) Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make either a mark-to-market election, a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, or a QEF election together with a purging election, each 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares).
Under these rules:
| ● | the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants; |
| ● | 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; |
| ● | 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 |
| ● | 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 Class A 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.
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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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that only 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 additional basis (to the extent of the excess distribution resulting from the purging election) and, solely for purposes of the PFIC rules, a new holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own 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 own 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 may 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 provide such required information or that, if we elect to do so, we will do so timely. 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 Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares for such a taxable year. Further, as noted above, a QEF election may not be with respect to warrants.
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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) Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares at the end of such year over its adjusted basis in its Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A 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 Class A 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 Class A 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 SEC, including Nasdaq (on which we intend to list the Class A 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. In general, the Class A ordinary shares will be treated as regularly traded in any calendar year in which more than a de minimis quantity of Class A ordinary shares are traded on a qualified exchange on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. There can be no assurance that trading in our Class A ordinary shares will be sufficient to treat such shares as “marketable stock” for these purposes in any given calendar year. 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, hold stock in a foreign corporation 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. If we are a PFIC, similar rules may apply (and may apply successively) to lower-tier PFIC shares held by us through partnerships or through options so as to attribute such lower-tier PFIC shares to U.S. Holders. Upon written request we may 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 own 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 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our securities under their particular circumstances.
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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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 own tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares, rights 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, Class A ordinary shares, rights 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:
| ● | a non-resident alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates); |
| ● | a foreign corporation; or |
| ● | 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 Class A 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).
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 Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 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 treated as 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 Class A 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 Class A ordinary shares, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares” above, and the consequences of such redemption or purchase by us to the Non-U.S. Holder will be as described in the above paragraphs of this section 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, Lapse or Redemption 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of our Class A 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 own tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences to them of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants, including the tax consequences under U.S. federal, state and 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.
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Underwriting (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)
ARC Group Securities LLC is acting as the sole book-runner and representative of the underwriters of the offering and Clear Street LLC is acting as the co-manager and qualified independent underwriter of the offering. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, each underwriter named below has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the number of units set forth opposite the underwriter’s name. The underwriters may offer and sell units to the public through one or more of their respective affiliates or other registered broker-dealers or selling agents.
| Underwriters | Number
of Units | |||
| ARC Group Securities LLC | [ ] | |||
Clear Street LLC | [ ] | |||
| 10,500,000 | ||||
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any of the units.
Pricing of the Offering
We have been advised by the underwriters that they propose to offer the units to the public at the initial offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. If all of the units are not sold at the initial offering price, the representative may change the offering price and other selling terms. The offering of the units by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part. Sales of any units outside the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriters.
Over-allotment Option
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional units approximately proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.
Lock-up and Transfer Restrictions
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that, prior to the completion of the initial business combination, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of ARC Group Securities LLC, as the representative of the underwriters, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any units, ordinary shares, founder shares or warrants, subject to certain exceptions. Our sponsor, officers and directors are also subject to separate transfer restrictions on their founder shares and private units pursuant to the letter agreement described in this prospectus.
Specifically, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares or any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof and the private units until the completion of our initial business combination; except to certain permitted transferees and under certain circumstances as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares or private units. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. 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.
Concurrently, the founder shares attributable to ARC Group Limited through its 6% owned equity of the Sponsor have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1) (the “FINRA Lock-up”). Pursuant to this FINRA Lock-up, these securities cannot be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or 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 period of 180 days from the commencement of sales of this offering except as permitted under FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2), including to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates.
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Representative Shares
We have agreed to issue to ARC Group Securities LLC, the representative (and/or its designees) and Clear Street LLC, the qualified independent underwriter, an aggregate of 420,000 Class A ordinary shares on the Closing Date (483,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), including 370,000 to ARC Group Securities LLC (and/or its designees) and 50,000 to Clear Street LLC (and/or its designees). If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the additional 63,000 representative shares would be payable to ARC Group Securities LLC.
The representative shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). ARC Group Securities LLC and Clear Street LLC have agreed not to transfer, assign, or sell, pledge, or hypothecate any such representative shares, or subject such representative shares to hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person until 180 days from the commencement of sales of the offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), except that (i) the representative shares may be transferred, in whole or in part, to any member participating in the offering and its officers or partners, its registered persons or affiliates, if all transferred securities remain subject to the lock-up restriction for the remainder of the one hundred eighty (180) days from the commencement of sales of the offering; and (ii) the representative shares may be transferred back to the issuer in a transaction exempt from registration with the Commission, or other exceptions as provided under FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). In addition, ARC Group Securities LLC and Clear Street LLC have agreed, and will cause any transferee of the representative shares to agree, (a) to vote the representative shares in favor of any proposed business combination; (b) not to propose any amendment to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, a business combination (1) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a business combination or to redeem one hundred percent (100%) of the public shares if the Company has not consummated a business combination within 12 months of the Closing Date (or 15 months if the Company has executed, within 12 months from the Closing Date, a definitive agreement for a business combination) or (2) with respect to any other material provisions of the amended and restated memorandum and articles relating to the shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless the Company provides its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon effectiveness 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 Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its taxes, if any, divided by the number of public shares then in issue, subject in all cases to applicable law; (c) not to redeem any shares, including the representative shares, into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with the consummation of a business combination or a shareholder vote to amend the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association in the manner described above; and (d) not participate in any liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the representative shares if a business combination is not consummated within 12 months of the Closing Date (or 15 months if the Company has executed, within 12 months from the Closing Date, a definitive agreement for a business combination), although the Representative will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares it holds if the Company fails to complete a business combination within the prescribed time frame under the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
The shares issued to ARC Group Securities LLC and Clear Street LLC will be granted customary registration rights in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8). These securities have resale registration rights including two demand (one at our expense and one at ARC Group Securities LLC’s and Clear Street LLC’s expense) and unlimited “piggy-back” rights at any time, and from time to time.
We have granted the holders of these shares the registration rights as described under the section “Securities Eligible for Future Sale — Registration Rights.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, under FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8), the representative and/or its designees may only make a demand registration on one occasion during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and the representative and/or its designees may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Determination of Offering Price
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the representative. The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
Listing
We expect our units to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “FJDIU” commencing on or promptly after the date of this prospectus, and, once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants begin separate trading, to have our Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FJDI,” FJDIR” and “FJDIW,” respectively. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq.
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Discounts
The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
| Payable
by ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||||||||
| No
Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | Full
Exercise of Over-Allotment Option | |||||||
| Underwriting compensation(1) | $ | 4,200,000 | 4,830,000 | |||||
| Deferred underwriting commission(2) | $ | 1,575,000 | 1,811,250 | |||||
| Total(3) | $ | 5,775,000 | 6,641,250 | |||||
| (1) | Represents the value applied by FINRA in determining underwriting compensation ($10.00 per Class A ordinary share) of the 420,000 Class A ordinary shares, in lieu of cash fees, which we refer to herein as the “representative shares,” that we have agreed to issue to the representative and/or its designees and the qualified independent underwriter and/or its designees upon the consummation of this offering. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. |
| (2) | Represents a deferred underwriting discount of one and one half percent (1.50%) of the gross proceeds of this offering paid at the consummation of a business combination in cash. Includes $0.15 per unit, or $1,575,000 in the aggregate (or $1,811,250 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and to be released to the underwriter as deferred underwriting commissions only upon the consummation of an initial business combination. |
| (3) | Does not include certain fees and expenses incurred by the underwriters in connection with this offering, which we have agreed to reimburse the underwriters in an amount not to exceed $200,000 in the aggregate. |
We estimate that our portion of the total expense of this offering payable by us will be $700,000, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain of their accountable and out-of-pocket costs (including, but not limited to, the expenses of investigations and background checks of our principals (not to exceed $1,500 per person)) for this offering up to an aggregate expense allowance of $200,000, which maximum expense allowance includes the documented fees of up to $100,000 of the underwriters’ legal counsel to be reimbursed by us.
The underwriting agreement provides that following the completion of this offering, the obligations of the underwriters with respect to this offering will be deemed to be satisfied and the underwriters are not bound by any commitment or obligation to offer or sell to the public any of our securities or of any target business in an initial business combination or otherwise solicit holders of our securities or any target business in an initial business combination to approve the business combination.
Conflicts of Interest
Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ian Hanna, is an affiliate of ARC Group Securities LLC, the sole book-runner and representative of the underwriters in this offering. As a result, ARC Group Securities LLC is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable requirements of Rule 5121. ARC Group Securities LLC will not confirm sales to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the specific prior written approval of the account holder. In addition, Rule 5121 requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and prospectus and exercise the usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Clear Street LLC has agreed to act as a qualified independent underwriter for this offering and to undertake the legal responsibilities and liabilities of an underwriter under the Securities Act, specifically including those inherent in Section 11 thereof. We have agreed to indemnify Clear Street LLC against certain liabilities incurred in connection with acting as a qualified independent underwriter, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Clear Street LLC will receive 50,000 Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of this offering for acting as qualified independent underwriter. Clear Street LLC will receive no other compensation.
Right of First Refusal
Subject to certain conditions, we granted ARC Group Securities LLC a right of first refusal with a term of twelve (12) months following the expiration of ARC Group Securities LLC’s engagement period to act as sole underwriter, initial purchaser, or placement agent for any subsequent financing or refinancing transaction involving the issuance of our equity, equity-linked, or debt securities (including any secondary offering). In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(6), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the commencement of sales of this offering or the termination date of the engagement between us and ARC Group Securities LLC.
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Stabilization and Other Transactions
The underwriters pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the units at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising the overallotment option or purchasing our securities in the open market or from market participants. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the overallotment option.
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional units. 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 after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As a result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the securities originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.
Market Making
The underwriters have advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they may make a market in the units as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the units, that you will be able to sell any of the units held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell would be favorable.
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Other Terms
The underwriting agreement provides that, following the completion of this offering, the obligations of the underwriters with respect to this offering will be deemed to be satisfied and the underwriters are not bound by any commitment or obligation to offer or sell to the public any of our securities or of any target business in an initial business combination or otherwise solicit holders of our securities or any target business in an initial business combination to approve the business combination.
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, any of 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 of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters 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.
Some of the underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Some of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates, including in connection with acting in an advisory capacity or as a potential financing source in conjunction with our potential acquisition of a company. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, some of the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt or equity securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of ours and/or of persons and entities with relationships with us. Some of the underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and/or instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each, a “Member State”), the underwriter represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make an offer of units to the public in that Member State except that it may make an offer of units to the public in that Member State at any time,
| (a) | to legal entities which are qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation; |
| (b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter for any such offer; or |
| (c) | in any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the issuer of a prospectus pursuant to Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation. |
Provided that no such offer of units shall require the company or the underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of units to the public” in relation to any units in any 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 the units, and the expression Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded).
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Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
The underwriter represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make an offer of units to the public in the United Kingdom, except that it may make an offer of units to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:
| (a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation; |
| (b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation) in the United Kingdom subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter for any such offer; or |
| (c) | at any time in any other circumstances falling within section 86 of the FSMA, |
Provided that no such offer of units shall require the company or the underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to the UK Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer of units to the public in relation to any units 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.
The underwriter represents, warrants and agrees as follows:
| (a) | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply to the company; and |
| (b) | it has complied with, and will comply with all applicable provisions of FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the units in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. |
Notice to Residents of Japan
The underwriter will not offer or sell any of our units directly or indirectly in Japan or to, or for the benefit of any Japanese person or to others, for re-offering or re-sale directly or indirectly in Japan or to any Japanese person, except in each case pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan and any other applicable laws and regulations of Japan. For purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese person” means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Residents of Hong Kong
The underwriter and each of its affiliates have not (1) offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, our units other than (A) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance or (A) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32 of Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance or (2) issued or had in its possession for the purposes of issue, and will not issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere any advertisement, invitation or document relating to our units 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 securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to our securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance. The contents of this document have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this document, you should obtain independent professional advice.
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Notice to Residents of 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 which is
| ● | a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A 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 |
| ● | a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary 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: |
| ● | 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; |
| ● | where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or |
| ● | where the transfer is by operation of law. |
Notification under Section 309B(1)(c) of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore. The securities are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12:Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
Notice to Residents of Germany
Each person who is in possession of this prospectus is aware that no German sales prospectus (Verkaufsprospekt) within the meaning of the Securities Sales Prospectus Act (Wertpapier- Verkaufsprospektgesetz, the “Act”) of the Federal Republic of Germany has been or will be published with respect to our units. In particular, the underwriter has represented that it has not engaged and will agree that it will not engage in a public offering (offentliches Angebot) within the meaning of the Act with respect to any of our units otherwise then in accordance with the Act and all other applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Notice to Residents of France
The units are being issued and sold outside the Republic of France and that, in connection with their initial distribution, it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any units to the public in the Republic of France, and that it has not distributed and will not distribute or cause to be distributed to the public in the Republic of France this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, and that such offers, sales and distributions have been and will be made in the Republic of France only to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) in accordance with Article L.411-2 of the Monetary and Financial Code and decrét no. 98-880 dated October 1, 1998.
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Notice to Residents of the Netherlands
Our units may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered in or from the Netherlands as part of their initial distribution or at any time thereafter, directly or indirectly, other than to, individuals or legal entities situated in The Netherlands who or which trade or invest in securities in the conduct of a business or profession (which includes banks, securities intermediaries (including dealers and brokers), insurance companies, pension funds, collective investment institution, central governments, large international and supranational organizations, other institutional investors and other parties, including treasury departments of commercial enterprises, which as an ancillary activity regularly invest in securities; hereinafter, “Professional Investors”); provided that in the offer, prospectus and in any other documents or advertisements in which a forthcoming offering of our units is publicly announced (whether electronically or otherwise) in The Netherlands it is stated that such offer is and will be exclusively made to such Professional Investors. Individual or legal entities who are not Professional Investors may not participate in the offering of our units, and this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units may not be considered an offer or the prospect of an offer to sell or exchange our units.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The units 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 units 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, the units 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 units will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of units 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 units.
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 units offered should conduct their own due diligence on the units. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Canadian Residents
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of units in Canada is being made on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the units in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may 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. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
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Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing units in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
| ● | the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the units without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45 - 106 - Prospectus Exemptions or Section 73.3 of the Securities Act (Ontario), as applicable; |
| ● | the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31 - 103 - Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations; |
| ● | where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; and |
| ● | the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions. |
Conflicts of Interest
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that the underwriter is relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33 - 105 - Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be 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 or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be 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.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of units should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the units in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the units for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
Notice to Cayman Islands Residents
No offer or invitation, whether directly or indirectly, is being or may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands (within the meaning of the Companies Act) to subscribe for any of our securities.
Legal matters
Lucosky Brookman LLP, Woodbridge, New Jersey, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Mourant Ozannes (Cayman) LLP, Cayman Islands counsel to the Registrant will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. In connection with this offering, Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
Experts
The financial statements of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I as of December 31, 2025, and for the period from October 9, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum Asia CPAs LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, which contains an explanatory paragraph related to substantial doubt about the ability of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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 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 the effectiveness 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.
| 190 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| F-1 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2025 (Audited) | March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) | |||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Deferred offering costs | $ | 152,926 | $ | 163,426 | ||||
| Total Assets | $ | 152,926 | $ | 163,426 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT | ||||||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||||||
| Accrued offering costs | $ | 48,190 | $ | 58,690 | ||||
| Accrued expenses | 17,045 | 18,777 | ||||||
| Promissory note – related party | 174,395 | 178,261 | ||||||
| Total Current Liabilities | 239,630 | 255,728 | ||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | - | - | ||||||
| Shareholder’s Deficit | ||||||||
| Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding | - | - | ||||||
| Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding | - | - | ||||||
| Class B ordinary Shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 5,175,000 issued and outstanding(1) (2) | 518 | 518 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 24,482 | 24,482 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (86,704 | ) | (92,302 | ) | ||||
| Subscription receivable | (25,000 | ) | (25,000 | ) | ||||
| Total Shareholder’s Deficit | (86,704 | ) | (92,302 | ) | ||||
| Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit | $ | 152,926 | $ | 163,426 | ||||
| (1) | Includes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor (see definition in Note 1) surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-2 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
| For the Three Months ended March 31, 2026 | ||||
| Formation and operating costs | $ | (5,598 | ) | |
| Net loss | $ | (5,598 | ) | |
| Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted (1) (2) | 4,500,000 | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share | $ | (0.00 | ) | |
| (1) | Excludes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-3 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-In | Accumulated | Subscription | Total Shareholder’s | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Receivable | Deficit | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – January 1, 2026(1) (2) | 5,175,000 | $ | 518 | $ | 24,482 | $ | (86,704 | ) | $ | (25,000 | ) | $ | (86,704 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | (5,598 | ) | - | (5,598 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Balance – March 31, 2026(1) (2) | 5,175,000 | $ | 518 | $ | 24,482 | $ | (92,302 | ) | $ | (25,000 | ) | $ | (92,302 | ) | ||||||||||
| (1) | Includes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-4 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
| For the Three Months ended March 31, 2026 | ||||
| Cash flows from Operating Activities: | ||||
| Net loss | $ | (5,598 | ) | |
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Accrued expenses | 1,732 | |||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (3,866 | ) | ||
| Cash flows from Financing Activities: | ||||
| Proceeds from promissory note – related party | 3,866 | |||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 3,866 | |||
| Net Change in Cash | - | |||
| Cash – Beginning of period | - | |||
| Cash – Ending of period | $ | - | ||
| Supplemental Disclosures of Noncash Financing Activities | ||||
| Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs | $ | 10,500 | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-5 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on October 9, 2025. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (“Business Combination”). While the Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, the Company intends to identify and acquire a business where the Company believe its management teams’ and its affiliates’ expertise will provide them with a competitive advantage, including technology, healthcare and logistics industries.
As of March 31, 2026, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period from October 9, 2025 through March 31, 2026 related to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Offering (as defined below). The Company will not generate any operating revenue until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed initial public offering of 10,500,000 units at $10.00 per unit (or 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Units” and, with respect to the ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Offering”) and the sale of 140,000 Units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, FDB I (the “Sponsor”), that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering. The Company intends to list the Units on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”). The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and sale of the Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Nasdaq rules provide that the Business Combination must be with one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Business Combination.
The Company will complete a Business Combination only if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Offering, management has agreed that $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Offering, including the proceeds of the sale of the Private Units, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and may 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended Business Combination. To mitigate the risk that the Company might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that the Company hold investments in the trust account, the Company may, at any time (based on the Company’s management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to the Company’s potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank..
The Company will provide its public shareholders, other than its initial shareholders and directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed Business Combination, the Company may seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, the Business Combination.
| F-6 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriter.
If a shareholder vote is not required and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company 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 the Company’s initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the Company’s initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with its initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if the Company have not consummated an 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; (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their Founder Shares and private shares if the Company fail to complete the Company’s 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 the Company fail to complete the initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account; and (iv) vote any Founder Shares and private shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction).
The Company will have until 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, with (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company’s Sponsor exercises its three-month extension option), as may be further extended by shareholder approval to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which the Company must consummate the Company’s initial Business Combination) or until such earlier liquidation date as the Company’s board of directors may approve, to consummate a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, 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 (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
| F-7 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
The Sponsor has agreed that that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for the Company’s independent auditors), or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, the Company has not asked the Company’s Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Company’s Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company’s company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure you that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for the Company’s initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, the Company may not be able to its Business Combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Going Concern Consideration
As of March 31, 2026, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficit of $255,728. The Company expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASC Subtopic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern, the Company lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the date of the issuance of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed 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 Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this risk and uncertainty. On October 16, 2025, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of $350,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Offering.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. Dollars and conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging growth company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable.
| F-8 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
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 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 revenues and 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 Offering. Should the Proposed Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, the Company had offering costs of $152,926 and $163,426, respectively.
Income taxes
The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of 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.
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, if any, as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026 and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company may be subject to potential examination by foreign taxing authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with foreign tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
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. In accordance with Cayman income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statements.
Net loss per ordinary share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per 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 675,000 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (Note 5 and 7). As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, 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 share is the same as basic loss per share for the periods 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 Measurements,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
| F-9 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
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 recent escalation of 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 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 escalation of 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.
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.
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 escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, 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.
Segment Reporting
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). 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. The 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 October 9, 2025, the date of its incorporation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-11 Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow Scope Improvements (“ASU 2025-11”), to improve the guidance for interim reporting and clarify when that guidance is applicable. The ASU 2025-11 provides a comprehensive list of required disclosures and also requires entities to disclose events since the last annual reporting period that have a material impact on the entity. ASU 2025-11 is effective for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, for public business entities and for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2028, for entities other than public business entities. Early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating ASU 2025-11 to determine its impact on the Company’s disclosures.
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 OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company will offer for sale up to 10,500,000 Units (or 12,075,000 Units if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”) and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination (“Public Right”).
NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 Private Units (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit from the Company in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Offering. Each Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Private Warrant”) and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination (“Private Right”). The proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Offering held in the Trust Account. The Private Units are identical to the Units sold in the Proposed Offering, as described in Note 7. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Warrants will expire worthless.
| F-10 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder shares
On October 17, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares (“Founder Shares”) to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. The funds were not received by March 31, 2026. Such ordinary shares includes an aggregate of up to 964,286 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor will collectively own 30% of the outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the Private Units). On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 (up to 675,000 which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised).
The Founder Shares are Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in the Proposed Offering, and holders of Founder Shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) the Founder Shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) the Founder Shares are entitled to registration rights; (iii) the Company’s Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (A) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, (B) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if the Company have not consummated an 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, (C) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their Founder Shares and private shares if the Company fail to complete its 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 the Company fail to complete its initial Business Combination within such time period and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account and (D) vote any Founder Shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction), (iv) the Founder Shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and (v) prior to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, only holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the Company’s constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of the Company’s approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands).
With certain limited exceptions, the Founder Shares are not transferable, assignable or saleable (except to the Company’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the Company’s Sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On October 16, 2025, the Sponsor issued an unsecured promissory note to the Company, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $350,000, to be used for payment of costs related to the Proposed Offering. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Offering. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, the Company has borrowed $174,395 and $178,261 under the promissory note with the Sponsor, respectively.
Administrative Services Arrangement
An affiliate of the Sponsor will be agreed, commencing from the date that the Company’s securities are first listed on Nasdaq, through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support as may be reasonably required by the Company. The Company will be agreed to pay to the affiliate of the Sponsor, $20,000 per month, for up to 12 months, subject to extension to up to 15 months, as provided in the Company’s registration statement, for such administrative services.
| F-11 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into Private Units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the applicable lender. 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. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, no amounts under such loans have been drawn.
Representative Shares
The Company will issue to ARC Group Securities LLC and/or its designees, 420,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) upon the consummation of the Proposed Offering as part of representative compensation (the “Representative Shares”). The Representative Shares have resale registration rights including two demand (one at the Company’s expense and one at ARC Group Securities LLC’s expense) and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Offering.
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) Founder Shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of the Proposed Offering, (ii) Private Units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities), which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Offering and (iii) Private Units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Offering.
The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to completion of the Company’s initial business combination. The registration rights granted to the underwriter are limited to one demand and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Offering with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the Private Units and the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities. 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 to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Proposed Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will not be entitled to any cash underwriting fee at closing of the Proposed Offering. The underwriters will be entitled to 420,000 Representative Shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) at closing of the Proposed Offering.
| F-12 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 7. SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
Preference shares — The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preference shares with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class B Ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. On October 17, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 7,392,857 ordinary shares to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash, of which 964,286 Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised in full. On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 (up to 675,000 which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender. As of December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, there were 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Because the Company’s Sponsor acquired the Class B ordinary shares at a nominal price of approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share, the Company’s public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of the Proposed Offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the Proposed Offering and related to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Proposed Offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the Private Units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to the Company’s Sponsor or any of its affiliates or to the Company’s officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by the Company’s public shareholders in connection with an initial business combination; provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. However, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial business combination; and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the Company’s constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of the Company’s approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). The provisions of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing these matters prior to the Company’s initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. On any other matter submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders except as required by law. Unless otherwise specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is required to approve any such matter voted on by the Company’s shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as outlined above) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, and pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (other than the provisions referred to above) and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. The Company’s board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares entitled to vote and voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. The Company’s shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available.
| F-13 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
Warrants — Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Warrants. The Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of the Company’s initial 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 above, if the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its 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 the Company so elect, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. The Warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company may call the Warrants for redemption:
| ● | 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 (the “30-day redemption period”); and |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of the Company’s initial business combination and ending three business days before the Company send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Private Warrants will be identical to the warrants sold in the Proposed Offering except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Warrants (i) are locked-up until the completion of the Company’s initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
The exercise price is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) the Company issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the Company’s initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Company’s initial shareholders 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 (including from such issuances and the Proposed Offering), and interest thereon, available for the funding of the Company’s initial business combination on the date of the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company’s consummate its initial business combination (such price, 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 prices described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of an initial business combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with the initial business combination. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Class A ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into Class A ordinary share basis, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive the 1/4 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination.
The Company will not issue fractional Class A ordinary shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with Cayman law. If the Company is unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
| F-14 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2026
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 8. SEGMENT INFORMATION
ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting,” establishes standards for companies to report in their financial statement information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker, or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.
The Company’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer (“CODM”), 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 operating segment.
When evaluating the Company’s performance and making key decisions regarding resource allocation the CODM reviews several key metrics, which include the following:
For the Three
Months Ended | ||||
| Formation and operating costs | $ | (5,598 | ) | |
The key measures of segment profit or loss reviewed by the CODM are formation and operating costs. Formation and operating costs are reviewed and monitored by the CODM to manage and forecast cash to ensure enough capital is available to complete a Proposed Offering and eventually a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The CODM also reviews formation and operating costs to manage, maintain and enforce all contractual agreements to ensure costs are aligned with all agreements and budget.
NOTE 9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date and through June 29, 2026, the date that unaudited condensed 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 except the following.
On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding.
On May 6, 2026, the Company changed the terms of the Warrants and Rights to be included in each unit for the Proposed Offering, which entitles the holder to receive one redeemable warrant (originally one half of one redeemable warrant) and one right to receive one-fourth (originally none) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the Business Combination.
On May 6, 2026, the Company amended the underwriting discounts and commissions as 420,000 Representative Shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) at closing of the Proposed Offering (originally 600,000 Representative Shares and a deferred fee of one-point five percent of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering upon closing of the Business Combination).
On May 6, 2026, the Company amended the completion window as 12 months (originally 18 months) from the closing of the Proposed Offering with one (1) three-month extension at the option of the Sponsor.
On June 29, 2026, the Company amended the completion window as 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering with one (1) three-month extension if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination.
On June 29, 2026, the Company amended the underwriting discounts and commissions as 420,000 Representative Shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised), including 50,000 Representative Shares to Clear Street LLC and/or its designees, plus $1,575,000 deferred underwriting fee (or $1,811,250 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) at closing of the Proposed Offering.
On June 29, 2026, the Company amended that the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares as 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Proposed Offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the Private Units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to the Company’s Sponsor or any of its affiliates or to the Company’s officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by the Company’s public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
| F-15 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2025, the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s deficit and cash flows for the period from October 9, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 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 December 31, 2025, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from October 9, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1, the Company has a significant working capital deficiency, has incurred significant losses and needs to raise additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. 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) (“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/ Marcum Asia CPAs LLP
Marcum Asia CPAs LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2025.
New York, NY
May 18, 2026
| F-16 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
BALANCE SHEET
| December 31, 2025 | ||||
| ASSETS | ||||
| Deferred offering costs | $ | 152,926 | ||
| Total Assets | $ | 152,926 | ||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT | ||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Accrued offering costs | $ | 48,190 | ||
| Accrued expenses | 17,045 | |||
| Promissory note – related party | 174,395 | |||
| Total Current Liabilities | 239,630 | |||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | - | |||
| Shareholder’s Deficit | ||||
| Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding | - | |||
| Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding | - | |||
| Class B ordinary Shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 5,175,000 issued and outstanding(1) (2) | 518 | |||
| Additional paid-in capital | 24,482 | |||
| Accumulated deficit | (86,704 | ) | ||
| Subscription receivable | (25,000 | ) | ||
| Total Shareholder’s Deficit | (86,704 | ) | ||
| Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit | $ | 152,926 | ||
| (1) | Includes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor (see definition in Note 1) surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-17 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
| For the Period from October 9, 2025 (inception) through | ||||
| December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Formation and operating costs | $ | (86,704 | ) | |
| Net loss | $ | (86,704 | ) | |
| Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted (1) (2) | 4,500,000 | |||
| Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share | $ | (0.02 | ) | |
| (1) | Excludes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-18 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
FOR THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 9, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-In | Accumulated | Subscription | Total Shareholder’s | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Receivable | Deficit | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – October 9, 2025 (inception) | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | |||||||||||||
| Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor(1) (2) | 5,175,000 | 518 | 24,482 | - | (25,000 | ) | - | |||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | (86,704 | ) | - | (86,704 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2025 | 5,175,000 | $ | 518 | $ | 24,482 | $ | (86,704 | ) | $ | (25,000 | ) | $ | (86,704 | ) | ||||||||||
| (1) | Includes an aggregate of 675,000 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part (Note 5 and Note 7). |
| (2) | On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender (see Note 5, Note 7 and Note 9). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-19 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For
the (inception)
through | ||||
| Cash flows from Operating Activities: | ||||
| Net loss | $ | (86,704 | ) | |
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Accrued expenses | 17,045 | |||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (69,659 | ) | ||
| Cash flows from Financing Activities: | ||||
| Proceeds from promissory note – related party | 174,395 | |||
| Payment of offering costs | (104,736 | ) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 69,659 | |||
| Net Change in Cash | - | |||
| Cash – Beginning of period | - | |||
| Cash – Ending of period | $ | - | ||
| Supplemental Disclosures of Noncash Financing Activities | ||||
| Issuance of founders for subscription fee receivable | $ | 25,000 | ||
| Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs | $ | 48,190 | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
| F-20 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on October 9, 2025. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (“Business Combination”). While the Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, the Company intends to identify and acquire a business where the Company believe its management teams’ and its affiliates’ expertise will provide them with a competitive advantage, including technology, healthcare and logistics industries.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period from October 9, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025 related to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Offering (as defined below). The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed initial public offering of 10,500,000 units at $10.00 per unit (or 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Units” and, with respect to the ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Offering”) and the sale of 140,000 Units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, FDB I (the “Sponsor”), that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering. The Company intends to list the Units on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”). The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and sale of the Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Nasdaq rules provide that the Business Combination must be with one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Business Combination.
The Company will complete a Business Combination only if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Offering, management has agreed that $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Offering, including the proceeds of the sale of the Private Units, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and may 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended Business Combination. To mitigate the risk that the Company might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that the Company hold investments in the trust account, the Company may, at any time (based on the Company’s management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to the Company’s potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank..
The Company will provide its public shareholders, other than its initial shareholders and directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed Business Combination, the Company may seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, the Business Combination.
| F-21 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriter.
If a shareholder vote is not required and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company 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 the Company’s initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the Company’s initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with its initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if the Company have not consummated an 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; (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their Founder Shares and private shares if the Company fail to complete the Company’s 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 the Company fail to complete the initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account; and (iv) vote any Founder Shares and private shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction).
The Company will have until 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, with (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company’s Sponsor exercises its three-month extension option), as may be further extended by shareholder approval to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which the Company must consummate the Company’s initial Business Combination) or until such earlier liquidation date as the Company’s board of directors may approve, to consummate a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, 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 (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
| F-22 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Sponsor has agreed that that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for the Company’s independent auditors), or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, the Company has not asked the Company’s Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Company’s Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company’s company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure you that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for the Company’s initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, the Company may not be able to its Business Combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Going Concern Consideration
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficit of $239,630. The Company expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASC Subtopic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern, the Company lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the date of the issuance of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed 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 Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this risk and uncertainty. On October 16, 2025, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of $350,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Offering.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. Dollars and conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging growth company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable.
| F-23 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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 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 revenues and 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 Offering. Should the Proposed Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had offering costs of $152,926.
Income taxes
The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of 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.
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, if any, as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2025 and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company may be subject to potential examination by foreign taxing authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with foreign tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
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. In accordance with Cayman income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statements.
Net loss per ordinary share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per 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 675,000 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (Note 5 and 7). As of December 31, 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 share is the same as basic loss per share for the periods 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 Measurements,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
| F-24 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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 recent escalation of 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 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 escalation of 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.
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.
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 escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, 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.
Segment Reporting
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). 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. The 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 October 9, 2025, the date of its incorporation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-11 Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow Scope Improvements (“ASU 2025-11”), to improve the guidance for interim reporting and clarify when that guidance is applicable. The ASU 2025-11 provides a comprehensive list of required disclosures and also requires entities to disclose events since the last annual reporting period that have a material impact on the entity. ASU 2025-11 is effective for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, for public business entities and for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2028, for entities other than public business entities. Early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating ASU 2025-11 to determine its impact on the Company’s disclosures.
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 OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company will offer for sale up to 10,500,000 Units (or 12,075,000 Units if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”) and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination (“Public Right”).
NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 Private Units (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit from the Company in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Offering. Each Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Private Warrant”) and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination (“Private Right”). The proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Offering held in the Trust Account. The Private Units are identical to the Units sold in the Proposed Offering, as described in Note 7. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Warrants will expire worthless.
| F-25 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder shares
On October 17, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares (“Founder Shares”) to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. The funds were not received by December 31, 2025. Such ordinary shares includes an aggregate of up to 964,286 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor will collectively own 30% of the outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the Private Units). On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised).
The Founder Shares are Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in the Proposed Offering, and holders of Founder Shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) the Founder Shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) the Founder Shares are entitled to registration rights; (iii) the Company’s Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (A) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, (B) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if the Company have not consummated an 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, (C) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their Founder Shares and private shares if the Company fail to complete its 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 the Company fail to complete its initial Business Combination within such time period and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account and (D) vote any Founder Shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction), (iv) the Founder Shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and (v) prior to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, only holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors or continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the Company’s constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of the Company’s approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands).
With certain limited exceptions, the Founder Shares are not transferable, assignable or saleable (except to the Company’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the Company’s Sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On October 16, 2025, the Sponsor issued an unsecured promissory note to the Company, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $350,000, to be used for payment of costs related to the Proposed Offering. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2026 or (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Offering. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has borrowed $174,395 under the promissory note with the Sponsor.
Administrative Services Arrangement
An affiliate of the Sponsor will be agreed, commencing from the date that the Company’s securities are first listed on Nasdaq, through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support as may be reasonably required by the Company. The Company will be agreed to pay to the affiliate of the Sponsor, $20,000 per month, for up to 12 months, subject to extension to up to 15 months, as provided in the Company’s registration statement, for such administrative services.
| F-26 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into Private Units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the applicable lender. 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. As of December 31, 2025, no amounts under such loans have been drawn.
Representative Shares
The Company will issue to ARC Group Securities LLC and/or its designees, 420,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) upon the consummation of the Proposed Offering as part of representative compensation (the “Representative Shares”). The Representative Shares have resale registration rights including two demand (one at the Company’s expense and one at ARC Group Securities LLC’s expense) and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Offering.
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) Founder Shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of the Proposed Offering, (ii) Private Units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities), which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Offering and (iii) Private Units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Offering.
The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to completion of the Company’s initial business combination. The registration rights granted to the underwriter are limited to one demand and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Offering with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the Private Units and the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities. 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 to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Proposed Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will not be entitled to any cash underwriting fee at closing of the Proposed Offering. The underwriters will be entitled to 420,000 Representative Shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) at closing of the Proposed Offering.
| F-27 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 7. SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
Preference shares — The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preference shares with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2025, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2025, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class B Ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. On October 17, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of 7,392,857 ordinary shares to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash, of which 964,286 Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised in full. On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the surrender. As of December 31, 2025, there were 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Because the Company’s Sponsor acquired the Class B ordinary shares at a nominal price of approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share, the Company’s public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of the Proposed Offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the Proposed Offering and related to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Proposed Offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the Private Units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to the Company’s Sponsor or any of its affiliates or to the Company’s officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by the Company’s public shareholders in connection with an initial business combination; provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. However, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial business combination; and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the Company’s constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of the Company’s approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). The provisions of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing these matters prior to the Company’s initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. On any other matter submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders except as required by law. Unless otherwise specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is required to approve any such matter voted on by the Company’s shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as outlined above) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, and pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (other than the provisions referred to above) and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. The Company’s board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares entitled to vote and voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. The Company’s shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available.
| F-28 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Warrants — Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Warrants. The Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of the Company’s initial 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 above, if the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its 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 the Company so elect, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. The Warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company may call the Warrants for redemption:
| ● | 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 (the “30-day redemption period”); and |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of the Company’s initial business combination and ending three business days before the Company send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Private Warrants will be identical to the warrants sold in the Proposed Offering except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Warrants (i) are locked-up until the completion of the Company’s initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
The exercise price is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) the Company issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the Company’s initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Company’s initial shareholders 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 (including from such issuances and the Proposed Offering), and interest thereon, available for the funding of the Company’s initial business combination on the date of the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company’s consummate its initial business combination (such price, 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 prices described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of an initial business combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with the initial business combination. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Class A ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into Class A ordinary share basis, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive the 1/4 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination.
The Company will not issue fractional Class A ordinary shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with Cayman law. If the Company is unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
| F-29 |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 8. SEGMENT INFORMATION
ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting,” establishes standards for companies to report in their financial statement information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker, or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.
The Company’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer (“CODM”), 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 operating segment.
When evaluating the Company’s performance and making key decisions regarding resource allocation the CODM reviews several key metrics, which include the following:
For the Period
from | ||||
| Formation and operating costs | $ | (86,704 | ) | |
The key measures of segment profit or loss reviewed by the CODM are formation and operating costs. Formation and operating costs are reviewed and monitored by the CODM to manage and forecast cash to ensure enough capital is available to complete a Proposed Offering and eventually a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The CODM also reviews formation and operating costs to manage, maintain and enforce all contractual agreements to ensure costs are aligned with all agreements and budget.
NOTE 9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date and through May 18, 2026, the date that audited 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 except the following.
On May 6, 2026, pursuant to the downsize of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding.
On May 6, 2026, the Company changed the terms of the Warrants and Rights to be included in each unit for the Proposed Offering, which entitles the holder to receive one redeemable warrant (originally one half of one redeemable warrant) and one right to receive one-fourth (originally none) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the Business Combination.
On May 6, 2026, the Company amended the underwriting discounts and commissions as 420,000 Representative Shares (or 483,000 if the over-allotment is fully exercised) at closing of the Proposed Offering (originally 600,000 Representative Shares and a deferred fee of one-point five percent of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering upon closing of the Business Combination).
On May 6, 2026, the Company amended the completion window as 12 months (originally 18 months) from the closing of the Proposed Offering with one (1) three-month extension at the option of the Sponsor.
| F-30 |
10,500,000 Units
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
, 2026
Sole Book-Runner
ARC Group Securities LLC
Co-Manager
Clear Street
Until, 2026 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our units, Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. 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.
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.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 29, 2026 |
$105,000,000
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
10,500,000 Units
This prospectus has been prepared for and will be used by ARC Group Securities LLC in connection with offers and sales of our units in certain market making transactions effected from time to time for 30 days following the date of this prospectus. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, one right and one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein, of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I for $10.00 per unit. These transactions may occur in the open market or may be privately negotiated at prevailing market prices at the time of sales, at prices related thereto or at negotiated prices. We will not receive any proceeds of such transactions. ARC Group Securities LLC has no obligation to make a market in our units, and may discontinue such activities at any time without notice, at its sole discretion. All such transactions with respect to our units that are made pursuant to a prospectus after the date of this prospectus are being made solely pursuant to this prospectus, as it may be supplemented from time to time.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “FJDIU,” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions as described further herein. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FJDI,” “FJDIR” and “FJDIW,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 39 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 SEC 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.
Sole Book-Runner
ARC Group Securities LLC
Co-Manager
Clear Street
, 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page No. | |
| Summary | |
| The Offering | Alt 1 |
| Risks | |
| Risk Factors | |
| Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements | |
| Use of Proceeds | Alt 21 |
| Dividend Policy | |
| Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | |
| Proposed Business | |
| Management | |
| Principal Shareholders | |
| Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions | |
| Description of Securities | |
| Taxation | |
| Plan of Distribution | Alt 22 |
| Legal Matters | |
| Experts | |
| Where You Can Find Additional Information | |
| Index to Financial Statements |
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from or inconsistent with 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.
Trademarks
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.
| Alt i |
The offering
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.”
| Proposed Nasdaq symbols: | Units: “FJDIU”
Class A Ordinary Shares: “FJDI”
Rights: “FJDIR”
Warrants: “FJDIW” | |
| Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants: | The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless ARC Group Securities LLC 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 issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. | |
| Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares, rights and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K: | In no event will the Class A ordinary shares, rights 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 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 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 information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | |
| Exercisability: | Each whole warrant offered in our initial public offering is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. | |
| We have structured each unit to contain one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share, as compared to units issued by some other similar special purpose acquisition companies, which contain whole warrants exercisable for one share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination as compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. |
| Alt 1 |
| Exercise price: | $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as described herein.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A 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 Class A 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 initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders 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 (including from such issuances and this offering), 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 Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) 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 prices described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. | |
| Exercise period: | The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. | |
| We are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than [ ] business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement and have an effective registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement provided that if a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form F-4 is filed in connection with our initial business combination that registers our warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants, such registration statement will not satisfy our obligation to register the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of our warrants, which will only be satisfied with the filing of a registration statement on Form S-1 or Form F-1 (or, if applicable, a registration statement on Form S-3 or Form F-3) registering the issuance of such Class A ordinary shares from time to time. |
| Alt 2 |
If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, 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. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, 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.
The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
| Redemption of warrants when | We may redeem the outstanding warrants: | ||
| the price per Class A ordinary | |||
| share equals or exceeds $18.00 | ● | 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 reported sale price (the “closing price”) of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption Procedures — Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of our initial business combination and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. | ||
| We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of ordinary 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 ordinary shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in our initial public offering. | ||
| Founder shares: | On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 founder shares for $25,000 to cover certain of our offering costs (up to 964,286 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). Following and as a result of that capitalization and issuance of additional founder shares, the sponsor is deemed to have purchased the founder shares for approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share. |
| Alt 3 |
Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Our public shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Up to 675,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders, on an as-converted basis, at 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and the issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in our initial public offering, except that:
| ● | prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors and on continuing the company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (as further described herein), prior to the consummation of our initial business combination; |
| ● | the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
| ● | the founder shares are entitled to registration rights; |
| ● | the founder shares are automatically convertible into our Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights”; and |
| ● | our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; (iii) 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, 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 prescribed time frame and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account; and (iv) vote any founder shares and private shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). |
The interests of the members of the sponsor are denominated in two classes of membership interest units: (i) series A membership units representing interests in the founder shares and (ii) series B membership units that will represent an interest in the private units. All members of the sponsor, including the manager of the sponsor, and any non-managing sponsor investor that may join the sponsor concurrently with this offering will hold both classes of membership units representing their proportional interest in the founder shares and private units, respectively. Pursuant to an agreement of all members of the sponsor, the management and control of the sponsor is vested exclusively with the manager, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any non-managing members regardless of their unit ownership. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, for so long as Brynner Chiam remains a manager of the sponsor and holds series A membership units, all matters submitted to a vote by the manager will require the affirmative vote of the series A membership units held only by the manager, without regard to any membership interests held by any non-managing members. As a result, non-managing sponsor members will have no right to control the sponsor, or participate in any decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the sponsor, or otherwise.
| Alt 4 |
| Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights: | The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or such earlier time at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities (as described herein), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 30% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the representative shares and the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any units issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans described herein) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by our public shareholders in connection with (a) any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any initial business combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (b) our initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. | |
| Appointment and removal of directors and continuing the company outside of the Cayman Islands; Voting Rights: | Except as set forth below, holders of record of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as required by the Companies Act or stock exchange rules, an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is generally required to approve any matter voted on by our shareholders. Certain actions require approval by a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as specified below) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds percent of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting, and pursuant to the Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning, following our initial business combination, the holders of more than 50% of our ordinary shares entitled to vote and voting on the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will (i) have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors and (ii) be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on these matters during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. |
With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of the founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company.
| Alt 5 |
| In such case, our sponsor, officers and directors and ARC Group Securities LLC have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares, representative shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares and private shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. | ||
| Private placement units and constituent securities | The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised). The private units will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. A portion of the purchase price of the private units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $105,000,000 (or $120,750,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. The private units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) (i) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the private units will expire worthless. | |
| Transfer restrictions on private placement units: | The private units (including the component securities as well as any securities underlying those component securities) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination, except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Units.” |
| Alt 6 |
| Proceeds to be held in trust account: | Nasdaq 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 we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus, $105,000,000 or $120,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a segregated U.S. based trust account with Efficiency acting as trustee, and initially 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; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. | |
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private units will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of our 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 an 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. 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. | ||
| Ability to extend time to complete business combination | We have until the date that is 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, 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 period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of our public shares, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, 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 earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law. |
| Alt 7 |
| 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, we will redeem 100% of our public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. | ||
| 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 the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes and/or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as described above. To the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our income taxes, we will not release funds from the trust account to pay such taxes, and we expect to make such payments from the funds held outside of the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will initially 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 in 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, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, 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 to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations, money market funds, a combination thereof or are in cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts). If we determine to hold the funds in the trust account as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts), the amount of interest we may receive would likely be less than if we were investing the funds in permitted investments. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from such interest withdrawn from the trust account and: |
| ● | the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units not held in the trust account, which initially will be approximately $700,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $700,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
| ● | any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their respective affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us; 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. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the applicable lender. |
| Alt 8 |
| Conditions to completing our initial business combination: | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and the taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors. We 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 outstanding voting securities of the target or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to 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 the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. | |
If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the aggregate value of all of the target businesses will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% fair market value test and we will treat the transactions together as our initial business combination for purposes of seeking shareholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable. |
| Alt 9 |
| Permitted purchases of public shares, public rights and public warrants by our affiliates: | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase shares, public rights and public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of 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 sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public rights and public warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. 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. See “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities,” for a description of how our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. Our sponsor, directors, officers or any of their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
Additionally, in the event our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or 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/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; |
| ● | if our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; |
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; |
| ● | our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and |
| ● | we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items: |
| Alt 10 |
| ● | the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates, along with the purchase price; |
| ● | the purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates; |
| ● | the impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; |
| ● | the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates; and |
| ● | the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. |
Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which shareholders to seek to acquire securities.
| The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. | ||
| Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 164.98 promulgated by the SEC. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Please see “Risk Factors — If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisor or their respective affiliates may elect to purchase public shares, rights or warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.” | ||
| Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination: | We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise. |
| Alt 11 |
| Manner of conducting redemptions: | We will provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. Cayman Islands law also requires shareholder approval for certain transactions, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and statutory mergers under the Companies Act (other than a merger between the company and a 90% subsidiary of the company). We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s shareholder approval rules. | |
| The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended by a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting so long as we offer redemption in connection with such amendment. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. | ||
| If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, 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. |
| Alt 12 |
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our initial shareholders will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction). For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained.
As a result, in addition to our founder shares, private shares and the representative shares, we would need 2,720,001 public shares, or 25.9% of the 10,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares and private shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of the company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company will require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting be decided on a poll and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained. Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to vote to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
| ● | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
| ● | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
| Alt 13 |
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements.
We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by our public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.
| Our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements. | ||
| Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination: | On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” 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 securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of 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. |
| Alt 14 |
| Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination: | Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our rights or warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. | |
| Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. However, if our initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. | ||
| Our sponsor, officers and directors 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 redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders, other than our initial shareholders and our directors and officers, with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal, and in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. |
| Alt 15 |
| Limited payments to insiders: | We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account: |
| ● | Repayment of up to an aggregate of $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
| ● | reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us by an affiliate of our sponsor, in an amount equal to $20,000 per month; |
| ● | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating 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 officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the private units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
| Audit committee: | We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors as and when required by the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A of the Exchange Act. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates and monitor compliance with 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 the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” | |
| Conflicts of Interest: | Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ian Hanna, is an affiliate of ARC Group Securities LLC, the sole book-runner and representative of the underwriters in this offering. As a result, ARC Group Securities LLC is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable requirements of Rule 5121. ARC Group Securities LLC will not confirm sales to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the specific prior written approval of the account holder. In addition, Rule 5121 requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and prospectus and exercise the usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Clear Street LLC has agreed to act as a qualified independent underwriter for this offering and to undertake the legal responsibilities and liabilities of an underwriter under the Securities Act, specifically including those inherent in Section 11 thereof. We have agreed to indemnify Clear Street LLC against certain liabilities incurred in connection with acting as a qualified independent underwriter, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Clear Street LLC will receive 50,000 Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of this offering for acting as qualified independent underwriter. Clear Street LLC will receive no other compensation. See the section titled “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)—Conflicts of Interest” for additional information. |
| Alt 16 |
Conflicts may arise from ARC Group Securities LLC’s affiliation with us, it or its affiliates’ provision of services both to us, other SPACs and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by ARC Group Securities LLC for its own account. ARC Group Securities LLC is often engaged as a financial advisor, or placement agent, to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries. Alternatively, ARC Group Securities LLC, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may be a financial advisor to a target business that we pursue a business combination with and ARC Group Securities LLC, or another affiliate of our sponsor, may receive fees from the target business in connection with a business combination. ARC Group Securities LLC also represents potential buyer’s businesses and may be incentivized or obligated to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers in lieu of us, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunities available to us.
In addition, in the ordinary course of its business activities, ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may 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, in each case via walled-off entities. Such trades have in the past and may in the future include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities). Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments, in each case to include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities).
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. In particular, each of our officers is an officer and/or director of ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and affiliated with ARC Group Securities LLC formed for the purpose of effecting its own business combination that has not yet completed its initial public offering. Each of our officers owes fiduciary duties to ARC Group Securities Acquisition II as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, including ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. 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. Other than ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, because the other entities to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations, we do not believe that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of any affiliates of our initial shareholders, or policies applicable to any affiliates of our initial shareholders, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. ARC Group Securities Acquisition II has not yet completed its initial public offering and therefore has not yet identified a target for its potential business combination. As a result, there is a material conflict of interest between ARC Group Securities Acquisition II and our company, as we and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II are engaged in the business of engaging in business combinations. We expect that we will generally have priority over ARC Group Securities Acquisition II with respect to acquisition opportunities until we complete our initial business combination, enter into contractual agreements that would restrict our ability to engage in material discussions regarding potential initial business combinations, or cease operations, liquidate our trust account and dissolve.
Additionally, there are no contractual agreements between us, ARC Group Securities Acquisition II, our sponsor or any affiliates of our initial shareholders regarding allocation of opportunities between us and ARC Group Securities Acquisition II. To the extent that our sponsor, any affiliates of our initial shareholders or any other entity affiliated with our sponsor becomes aware of a potential acquisition opportunity, such entity has complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination. We expect that a determination will be made as to whether we or ARC Group Securities Acquisition II would be presented with the opportunity, if at all, based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings, amount of time required to complete a business combination, and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
Our sponsor, officers or directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our executive officers and our directors may have interests that differ from you in connection with the business combination, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, 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.
| Alt 17 |
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, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $1,425,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares (or approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share) and the $1,400,000 purchase price for the private units (or $10.00 per private unit). Accordingly, our management team may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier 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 in this offering, as our sponsor and members of our management team would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. These interests of our executive officers and directors may affect the consideration paid, terms, conditions and timing relating to a business combination in a way that conflicts with the interests of our public shareholders.
Additionally, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and pursuing an initial business combination or completing our initial business combination. The different timelines of competing business combinations could cause our directors and executive officers to prioritize a different business combination over finding a suitable acquisition target for our business combination. For example, if two targets are being evaluated by our management team, and one is more stable and has a better risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, but may take a longer time to diligence and go through the business combination process, while the other has a less favorable risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, but would be easier, quicker and more certain to guide through the business combination process, our management team may decide to choose what they believe to be the quicker and more certain path despite its less favorable risk or stability profile for our public shareholders, as our management team would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated a business combination. Additionally, if members of our management team form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, the consideration paid, terms, conditions and timing relating to the business combinations of such other special purpose acquisition companies or ventures, and the level of attention paid to by members of our management team to them versus the level of attention paid to us may conflict in a way that is unfavorable to us. Consequently, our directors’ and executive officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest, which could negatively impact the timing for a business combination.
In addition to the above, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including selecting a business combination target and monitoring the related due diligence. See “Risk Factors — Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.”
| Alt 18 |
Additionally, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Further, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. 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 may expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until after the completion of our initial business combination. The private units and the component securities (as well as any securities underlying those component securities) are locked-up until the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and executive officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares and warrants following this offering, our executive officers and directors 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 because of their financial interest in completing an initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if if the Company has executed, within 12 months after the closing of this offering, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve.
Upon consummation of this offering or thereafter, we will repay up to $350,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses, and we will begin paying an affiliate of our sponsor $20,000 per month for office space and administrative services. In the event that following this offering we obtain working capital loans from our sponsor or any of its affiliates or from our officers or directors to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of our sponsor. In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur 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.
| Alt 19 |
Similarly, if we agree to pay our sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our 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 any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, non-managing sponsor members, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or non-managing sponsor members; 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 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. | ||
| Indemnity
by the sponsor in the event of liquidation without a business combination |
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement (except for the Company’s independent auditors), reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. |
| Alt 20 |
USE OF PROCEEDS
This prospectus is delivered in connection with the offer and sale of our units by ARC Group Securities LLC in certain market making transactions. We will not receive any of the proceeds from these transactions.
| Alt 21 |
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
This prospectus has been prepared for and will be used by ARC Group Securities LLC in connection with offers and sales of our securities in certain market making transactions effected from time to time for 30 days following the date of this prospectus. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. These transactions may occur in the open market or may be privately negotiated at prevailing market prices at the time of sales, at prices related thereto or at negotiated prices. All such transactions with respect to our securities that are made pursuant to a prospectus after the date of this prospectus are being made solely pursuant to this prospectus, as it may be supplemented from time to time.
ARC Group Securities LLC may act as a principal in these transactions. These sales will be made at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related thereto or at negotiated prices. We will not receive any of the proceeds of these transactions.
Our sponsor, an affiliate of ARC Group Securities LLC, has purchased an aggregate of 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, of which 964,286 Class B ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture in the event the over-allotment option is not exercised. On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised) for approximately $0.00483 per share (if over-allotment option is exercised). Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 140,000 private units (including if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit (for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000 (including if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $2,500,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of our initial public offering.
We agreed to file a “market making” prospectus in order to allow ARC Group Securities LLC to engage in market making activities for our securities for 30 days following the date of this prospectus. ARC Group Securities LLC is acting as a lead underwriter in our initial public offering of securities. Purchases and sales in the open market by ARC Group Securities LLC may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include stabilizing purchases, in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own account, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. They may also cause the price of our securities to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, it may discontinue them at any time.
We have been advised by ARC Group Securities LLC that, following the pricing of our initial public offering, it currently intends to engage in market making transactions for our securities as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, ARC Group Securities LLC is not obligated to do so and ARC Group Securities LLC may discontinue its market making activities at any time without notice. In addition, such market making activity will be subject to the limits imposed by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for our securities, that you will be able to sell any of our securities held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable. See “Risk Factors — 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.”
We have agreed to indemnify ARC Group Securities LLC and other underwriters in our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments ARC Group Securities LLC may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage ARC Group Securities LLC to provide any services for us after our initial public offering. However, ARC Group Securities LLC may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If ARC Group Securities LLC provides services to us in the future, we may pay ARC Group Securities LLC 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 ARC Group Securities LLC and no fees for such services will be paid to ARC Group Securities LLC prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with our initial public offering and we may pay the underwriters of our initial public offering or any entity with which it is affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of an initial business combination.
ARC Group Securities LLC and its affiliates may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates, for which it may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for any such transactions.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may 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, in each case via walled-off entities. Such trades have in the past and may in the future include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities). Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. ARC Group Securities LLC and its respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments, in each case to include the securities of SPACs or similar blank check vehicles (including our securities).
| Alt 22 |
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
10,500,000 Units
, 2026
ARC Group Securities LLC
Until, 2026 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our units, Class A ordinary shares, public rights or public warrants, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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 | 225,000 | |||
| Printing and engraving expenses | 30,000 | |||
| SEC/FINRA expenses | 50,000 | |||
| Nasdaq listing fees | 80,000 | |||
| Underwriter Legal Fees | 100,000 | |||
| Miscellaneous | 215,000 | |||
| Total | $ | 700,000 |
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, actual 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 expect to 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.
Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced 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 therefore unenforceable.
We will enter into indemnity agreements with each of our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Cayman Islands law and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
| II-1 |
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On October 17, 2025, our sponsor purchased, and the Company issued to the sponsor, 7,392,857 Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, of which 964,286 Class B ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture in the event the over-allotment option is not exercised. On May 6, 2026, our sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Class B ordinary shares it held for no consideration, leaving sponsor with 5,175,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 675,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). The sponsor is deemed to have purchased the founder shares for approximately $0.00483 (if over-allotment option is exercised) per share. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full and therefore that such founder shares would represent 30% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares that are included within the private units). Up to 675,000 of these shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised.
Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D. Each of the equity holders in our sponsor is an accredited investor under Rule 501 of Regulation D. The sole business of our sponsor is to act as the company’s sponsor in connection with this offering.
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 140,000 private units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000. The private units will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. 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.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
Exhibit Index
* Filed herewith.
** Previously filed.
| II-3 |
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) | 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. |
| (4) | 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; |
| II-4 |
| (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. |
| (d) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
| (ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement. |
| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment 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) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| (i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
| (A) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (B) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. 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 effective date, 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 effective date; or |
| II-5 |
| (ii) | 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) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the 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 the 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 the 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. |
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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 Tempe, Arizona, on the 29th day of June, 2026.
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | /s/ Ian Hanna | |
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | |
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/ Ian Hanna | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | June 29, 2026 | ||
| Ian Hanna | (principal executive officer) | |||
| /s/ Jake Carney | Chief Financial Officer | June 29, 2026 | ||
| Jake Carney | (principal financial and accounting officer) |
| II-7 |
Authorized representative
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned has signed this registration statement, solely in its capacity as the duly authorized representative of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, in Tempe, Arizona, on the 29th day of June, 2026.
| By: | /s/ Ian Hanna | |
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
| II-8 |
Exhibit 1.1
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
New York, New York [●], 2026 |
ARC Group Securities LLC
398 S Mill Avenue, Suite 306
Tempe, AZ 85281
As Representative of the Underwriters
named on Schedule A hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with ARC Group Securities LLC (hereinafter referred to as “you” (including its correlatives) acting as representative (the “Representative”) of the several underwriters named on Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters” or, each underwriter individually, an “Underwriter”), as follows:
Article I
Purchase and Sale of Securities.
Section 1.1 Units.
1.1.1 Purchase of Units. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, an aggregate of 10,500,000 units of the Company (the “Firm Units”) at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions) of $10.00 per Firm Unit (the “Firm Unit Public Offer Price”), it being understood that the Firm Unit Public Offer Price is not in excess of the price recommended by the QIU (as defined below). Each Firm Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, par value US$0.0001 per share, of the Company (individually, a “Class A Ordinary Share” or “Public Share” and collectively, the “Class A Ordinary Shares” or “Public Shares,” and such Class A Ordinary Shares together with Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, of the Company, “Class B Ordinary Shares”, collectively, the “Ordinary Shares”), one right (each, a “Public Right” and collectively, the “Public Rights”), with each Public Right entitling the holder to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A Ordinary Share upon the consummation by the Company of the initial Business Combination (as defined below) and one redeemable warrant (each, a “Public Warrant” and collectively, the “Public Warrants”) entitling the holder to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided for in the Warrant Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.8 below). Each Firm Unit consists of one Public Share, one Public Right and one Public Warrant. The Public Shares, Public Rights and Public Warrants included in the Firm Units will not be separately tradable until 52 days after the date hereof unless the Representative informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to the Company filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) containing an audited balance sheet reflecting the Company’s receipt of the gross proceeds of the Offering (defined below) and the completion of the Private Placement (defined in Section 1.5.2) and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A. The Underwriters shall offer the Firm Units to the public (the “Offering”) at the offering price of $10.00 per Firm Unit (the “Public Offer Price”) and to certain dealers selected by the Representative at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $0.05 per Firm Unit under the Public Offer Price (the “Selling Concession”).
1.1.2 Payment and Delivery. Delivery and payment for the Firm Units shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the first (1st) Business Day (as defined below) following the commencement of trading of the Firm Units at the offices of the Representative, or at such earlier time and/or such other place as agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The closing of the Offering is referred to herein as the “Closing” and the hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Units is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.” Payment for the Firm Units shall be made on the Closing Date through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds. On the Closing Date, an aggregate of $105,000,000 of the net proceeds from the sale of the Firm Units and Private Placement Units (as defined below) shall be deposited into the trust account (the “Trust Account”) established by the Company for the benefit of the Public Shareholders (as defined below), as described in the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below) and pursuant to the terms of an Investment Management Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Company and Efficiency INC. (“Efficiency”), substantially in the form annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The remaining proceeds (less actual expenses and fees payable pursuant to this Agreement) shall be paid to the order of the Company on the Closing Date upon delivery of certificates representing the Firm Units (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) or through the facilities of DTC for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Units shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least one (1) Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company will permit the Representative to examine and package the Firm Units for delivery at least one (1) full Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Units except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all the Firm Units. As used herein, the term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or any day on which national banks in New York, New York are not open for business, and the term “Public Shareholders” means the holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in the Offering or acquired in the aftermarket, including any of the Respondents (as defined in Section 2.14 below) to the extent they acquire such Class A Ordinary Shares in the Offering or in the aftermarket (and solely with respect to such shares).
1.1.3 Deferred Underwriting Fee. The Representative agrees that $0.15 per Firm Unit sold in the Offering, or 1.50% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, or $1,575,000 in the aggregate (or up to $1,811,250 in the aggregate if the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full) (collectively, the “Deferred Underwriting Fee”), will be deposited and held in the Trust Account and payable directly from the Trust Account, without accrued interest, to the Representative for their own accounts upon the consummation of an initial Business Combination, but such $0.15 per Firm Unit shall be due solely on amounts remaining in the Trust Account following all properly submitted shareholder redemptions in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination. The Trust Agreement shall provide that the trustee is required to obtain a joint written instruction signed by both the Company and the Representative with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account, including the payment of the Deferred Underwriting Fee from the Trust Account, prior to commencing any liquidation of the assets of the Trust Account in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination, and such provision of the Trust Agreement shall not be permitted to be amended without the prior written consent of the Representative. In the event that the Company is unable to consummate the initial Business Combination, Efficiency, as the trustee of the Trust Account (in this context, the “Trustee”), commences liquidation of the Trust Account as provided in the Trust Agreement, the Representative, on behalf of itself and the Underwriters, agrees that: (i) the Underwriters shall forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Underwriting Fee, including any accrued interest thereon; and (ii) the Deferred Underwriting Fee, together with all other amounts on deposit in the Trust Account, shall be distributed on a pro-rata basis among the Public Shareholders. The Representative shall have the right to agree to any further modifications to the Deferred Underwriting Fee on behalf of the Underwriters and any decisions relating to such modifications shall be made exclusively by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters. For the avoidance of doubt, the obligations of each Underwriter under this Agreement shall be fully satisfied upon the payment of the purchase price for the Units purchased by such Underwriter on the Closing Date or Option Closing Date without any further conditions except for those set forth above and below. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, each Underwriter may at any time prior to the initial Business Combination and in its sole and absolute discretion, by written notice to the Company, elect to forfeit any right or claim to its portion of the Deferred Underwriting Fee, in which case the Company and the Representative agree to instruct the Trustee not to pay such Underwriter such forfeited portion of the Deferred Underwriting Fee upon the occurrence of the initial Business Combination. For the avoidance of doubt, any such election by an Underwriter shall be without prejudice to any right or claim of any other Underwriter to its respective portion of the Deferred Underwriting Fee or to any other right such Underwriter may have under this Agreement.
Section 1.2 Qualified Independent Underwriter. The Company hereby confirms its engagement of Clear Street LLC (“Clear Street”) and Clear Street hereby confirms its agreement with the Company to render services as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of Rule 5121 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) with respect to the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company is not issuing and selling any Units to Clear Street in connection with the Offering and this Agreement. Clear Street, solely in its capacity as the “qualified independent underwriter” with respect to the Offering, and not otherwise, is referred to herein as the “QIU.” Clear Street hereby consents to the reference to it as set forth under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (as defined below) and any amendment or supplement thereto. Clear Street will be paid a fee of 50,000 representative shares as described in Section 1.4 below.
Section 1.3 Over-Allotment Option.
1.3.1 Grant of Option. The Representative shall have the option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase, on behalf of the several Underwriters, all or less than all of an additional 1,575,000 units of the Company (the “Option Units”) solely for the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Units. Such Option Units shall, at the Representative’s election, be purchased for each account of the several Underwriters in the same proportion as the number of Firm Units set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name on Schedule A hereto (subject to adjustment by the Representative to eliminate fractions). Such Option Units shall be identical in all respects to the Firm Units. The Firm Units and the Option Units are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Public Securities.” No Option Units shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Units previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Option Units, or any portion thereof, may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representative to the Company. The purchase price to be paid for each Option Unit (net of discounts and commissions) will be $10.00 per Option Unit. The Option Units shall be offered to the public at the Public Offer Price and to certain dealers selected by the Representative at a price that represents a concession not in excess of the Selling Concession.
1.3.2 Exercise of Option. The Over-Allotment Option may be exercised by the Representative, on behalf of the several Underwriters, as to all or any part of the Option Units at any time and from time to time within forty-five (45) days after the Effective Date (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below). The Representative will not be under any obligation to purchase any Option Units prior to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. The Over-Allotment Option may be exercised by oral notice from the Representative to the Company, which must be confirmed in accordance with the notice provisions of Section 10.1 herein, setting forth the number of Option Units to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Units, if other than the Closing Date, which date shall not be earlier than the Closing Date or later than ten (10) full Business Days after the date of the notice (the “Option Closing Date”), at the offices of the Representative, or at such other time and place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. Upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the several Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the several Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Units specified in such notice in the same proportion as the number of Firm Units set forth opposite each Underwriter’s name on Schedule A hereto.
1.3.3 Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Option Units shall be made on the Option Closing Date at the Representative’s election by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds or by certified or bank cashier’s check(s) in New York Clearing House funds, payable as follows: $10.00 per Option Unit shall be deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to the Trust Agreement upon delivery of certificates representing the Option Units (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative), or through the facilities of DTC for the account of the Underwriters. The Option Units shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least one (1) Business Day prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Company will permit the Representative to examine and package the Option Units for delivery at least one (1) full Business Day prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
Section
1.4 Representative Shares. The Company agrees to issue to the Representative and QIU (and/or their designees) an aggregate of
420,000 Class A Ordinary Shares on the Closing Date
Section 1.5 Private Placements.
1.5.1 On October 17, 2025, the Company issued to FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), 7,392,857 Class B Ordinary Shares (“Founder Shares”), for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in a private placement intended to be exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). On May 6, 2026, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857 Founder Shares it held for no consideration, leaving the Sponsor with 5,175,000 Founder Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, resulting in a purchase price of approximately $0.00483 per share (if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). No underwriting discounts, commissions or placement fees have been or will be payable in connection with the sale of the Founder Shares. The Founder Shares shall be held in escrow and subject to restrictions on transfer as set forth in the Registration Statement. The Sponsor shall have no right to any liquidating distributions with respect to any portion of the Founder Shares in the event the Company fails to consummate any proposed merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination involving the Company with one or more businesses or entities (“Business Combination”) within the Completion Window except with respect to any funds held outside of the Trust Account remaining after payment of all fees and expenses. The Sponsor shall not have redemption rights with respect to the Founder Shares nor shall it be entitled to sell such Founder Shares to the Company in any tender offer in connection with a proposed Business Combination. To the extent that the Over-allotment Option is not exercised by the Underwriters in full or in part, up to 675,000 of the Founder Shares shall be forfeited in an amount necessary to maintain the 30% ownership interest in the Ordinary Shares of the Sponsor, officers, directors and advisors of the Company after giving effect to the Offering and exercise, if any, of the Underwriters’ Over-allotment Option (and excluding the Representative Shares and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Private Placement Units (defined below)).
1.5.2 Simultaneously with the Closing Date, the Sponsor and/or its designees will purchase from the Company, pursuant to the Private Units Purchase Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.2 below) in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) intended to be exempt from registration under the Act, an aggregate of 140,000 units (“Private Placement Units”) (whether or not the Over-Allotment Option is exercised), each consisting of one Class A Ordinary Share (the “Private Shares”), one right (each, a “Private Right” and collectively, the “Private Rights”), with each right entitling the holder to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A Ordinary Share upon the consummation by the Company of the initial Business Combination and one redeemable warrant (each, “Private Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Warrants”), with each warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share. The terms of the Private Units are as described in the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below). No underwriting discounts, commissions or placement fees have been or will be payable in connection with the Private Placement or the sale of the Private Placement Units. The Company shall cause to be deposited an amount of additional proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units into the Trust Account such that the amount of funds in the Trust Account shall be $10.00 per Public Share sold in the Offering.
1.5.3 The amount of the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Units, together with the proceeds of the Offering, shall be used to maintain the amount in trust at $10.00 per Firm Unit sold in the Offering. Additionally, the Sponsor agrees that if the Over-Allotment Option is exercised, all of the proceeds of such Over-Allotment Option will be deposited into the Trust Account such that the amount in trust shall be equal to $10.00 per Class A Ordinary Share sold to the public in the Offering, including as a result of the exercise of any Over-Allotment Option.
Article II
Representations and Warranties of the Company.
The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters and QIU as of the date hereof as follows:
Section 2.1 Filing of Registration Statement.
2.1.1 Pursuant to the Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement and any amendments thereto, on Form S-1 (File No. 333-291302), including any related preliminary prospectus (the “Preliminary Prospectus”, including any prospectus that is included in the registration statement immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, for the registration of the Public Securities under the Act, which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Regulations”) of the Commission under the Act. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission and effective as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”), including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits, and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A of the Regulations, together with the registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, if any, registering additional Public Securities (the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement,” provided, that any references herein to the Registration Statement at any given time shall mean such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at such time, including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits, and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A of the Regulations, and the form of the final prospectus dated the Effective Date included in the Registration Statement (or, if applicable, the form of final prospectus containing information permitted to be omitted at the time of effectiveness by Rule 430A of the Regulations filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Regulations), is hereinafter called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, “Time of Sale,” as used in the Act, means [●] p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement. Prior to the Time of Sale, the Company prepared a preliminary prospectus, dated [●], 2026, for distribution by the Underwriters (such Preliminary Prospectus used most recently prior to the Time of Sale, the “Statutory Prospectus” and, together with the information included on Schedule B hereto, the “General Disclosure Package”). Other than the Form 8-A referred to below in Section 2.1.2, together with any correspondence letters between the Company and/or counsel for the Company and the Commission, no other document with respect to the Registration Statement has been filed under the Act with the Commission. All of the Public Securities have been or will be registered under the Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission at [●] p.m., New York time, on the date hereof. If, subsequent to the date of this Agreement, the Company or the Representative determines that at the Time of Sale, the General Disclosure Package included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted a statement of material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and agrees to provide an opportunity to purchasers of the Firm Units to terminate their old purchase contracts and enter into new purchase contracts, then the General Disclosure Package will be deemed to include any additional information available to purchasers at the time of entry into the first such new purchase contract.
2.1.2 Pursuant to the Exchange Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a Registration Statement on Form 8-A, as amended (File Number 001-[●]), providing for the registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Public Securities, Public Shares, Public Rights and Public Warrants. The registration of the Public Securities, Public Shares, Public Rights and Public Warrants under the Exchange Act has been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the date hereof.
Section 2.2 No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any foreign or state regulatory authority has issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.
Section 2.3 Disclosures in Registration Statement.
2.3.1
10b-5 Representation. At the Effective Date (or at the effective time of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement
subsequent to the Effective Date) and at all times subsequent thereto up to the Closing Date, the Registration Statement, the Statutory
Prospectus, and the Prospectus contained or will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance
with the Act and the Regulations, and did or will, in all material respects, conform to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations.
At the Effective Date and at the Time of Sale, the Registration Statement did not, and on the Closing Date it will not, contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading; on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Prospectus (together with any
supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and at the Time of Sale, the General
Disclosure Package does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided however that the representation
and warranty made in this Section 2.3.1 does not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity
with, written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, which information, it is agreed,
shall consist solely of the following (the “Underwriter Information”): the names of the Underwriters, the subsection
titled and “Selling Restrictions” included in the section captioned and the subsection titled “Determination of Offering
Price” in the section captioned “Underwriting (Conflicts of
2.3.2 Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus, or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party, or by which its property or business is or may be bound or affected, and that is referred to in the Registration Statement or attached as an exhibit thereto or that is material to the Company’s business, has been duly and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects, and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in all material respects in accordance with its terms, except (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the foreign, federal, and state securities laws, and (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in breach or default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a breach or default thereunder. To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order, or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.
2.3.3 Prior Securities Transactions. No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company since the date of the Company’s formation, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus.
2.3.4 Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus concerning the effects of foreign, federal, state and local regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
Section 2.4 Changes after Dates in Registration Statement.
2.4.1 No Material Adverse Change. Since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein: (i) no event that has occurred that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below) on the condition, financial or otherwise, or business prospects of the Company; (ii) there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) no member of the Company’s board of directors or management has resigned from any position with the Company; and (iv) no event or occurrence has taken place which materially impairs, or would likely materially impair, with the passage of time, the ability of the members of the Company’s board of directors or management to act in their capacities with the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus.
2.4.2 Recent Securities Transactions, etc. Since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or therein, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money other than in the ordinary course of business; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its share capital.
Section 2.5 Independent Accountants. Marcum Asia CPAs LLP (“Marcum Asia”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act, the Regulations, and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”), including the rules and regulations promulgated by such entity. To the Company’s knowledge, Marcum Asia is duly registered and in good standing with the PCAOB. Marcum Asia has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.
Section 2.6 Financial Statements; Statistical Data.
2.6.1 Financial Statements. The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein in conformity with the Regulations. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus disclose all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. There are no pro forma or as adjusted financial statements which are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus in accordance with Regulation S-X of the Regulations which have not been included as so required.
2.6.2 Statistical Data. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and/or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
Section 2.7 Authorized Capital; Options. etc. The Company had at the date or dates indicated in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, as the case may be, duly authorized, issued, and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted share capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Ordinary Shares or any security convertible into Ordinary Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Ordinary Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.
Section 2.8 Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.
2.8.1 Outstanding Securities. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the Offering and Private Placement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the Offering and Private Placement conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus. All offers, sales, and any transfers of the outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement were at all relevant times either registered under the Act and the applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws or exempt from such registration requirements (based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of the securities of the Company issued prior to the Offering and Private Placement).
2.8.2 Public Securities. The Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants, the Public Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants and the Public Rights, have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants, the Public Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants and the Public Rights are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants, the Public Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants and the Public Rights, has been duly and validly taken. The Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants, the Public Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants and the Public Rights, conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, as the case may be.
2.8.3 Private Placement Units. The Private Placement Units, the Private Shares, the Private Warrants, the Private Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Private Warrants and the Private Rights, have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for in accordance with the Private Units Purchase Agreement will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Private Placement Units, the Private Shares, the Private Warrants, the Private Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Private Warrants and the Private Rights, are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Private Placement Units, the Private Shares, the Private Warrants, the Private Rights and the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Private Warrants and the Private Rights, has been duly and validly taken. The Private Placement Units conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, as the case may be.
2.8.4 Representative Shares. The Representative Shares have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Representative Shares are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Representative Shares has been duly and validly taken. The Representative Shares conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be.
2.8.5 No Integration. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which are required to be “integrated” pursuant to the Act or the Regulations with the offer and sale of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Private Rights pursuant to the Registration Statement, or the Private Placement Units in the Private Placement.
Section 2.9 Registration Rights of Third Parties. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.
Section
2.10 Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements. This Agreement, the Insider Letter (as defined in Section 2.24.1 below),
the Trust Agreement, the Private Units Purchase Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.2), the Founder Share Subscription Agreement
(as defined in Section 2.24.3) the Services Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.6 below), the Warrant Agreement (as defined
in Section 2.24.8),
Section 2.11 No Conflicts etc. The execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, the consummation by the Company of the transactions therein contemplated, and the compliance by the Company with the terms thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a breach or violation of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any agreement, obligation, condition, covenant, or instrument to which the Company is a party or bound or to which its property is subject except pursuant to the Trust Agreement; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s Charter Documents; or (iii) violate any existing applicable statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order, or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, business or assets, except such violation or breach that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 2.12 No Defaults; Violations. No default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan, or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject. The Company is not in violation of any term or provision of its Charter Documents or in violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or businesses.
Section 2.13 Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.
2.13.1 Conduct of Business. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates, and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business for the purposes described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus concerning the effects of foreign, federal, state, and local regulation on this Offering and the Company’s business purpose as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Since its formation and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Company has conducted no business and has incurred no liabilities other than in connection with its formation and in furtherance of the Offering.
2.13.2 Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals, and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained. No consent, authorization, or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency, or other body, foreign or domestic, is required for the valid issuance, sale, and delivery, of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants, the Private Rights, the Private Placement Units, the Private Shares, the Private Warrants, the Private Rights, the Founder Shares and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by the Transaction Documents and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and Prospectus, except with respect to applicable foreign, federal, and state securities laws, the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the rules and regulations promulgated by FINRA.
Section 2.14 D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires completed immediately prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement and provided to the Representative (the “Questionnaires”) by each of the Company’s officers, directors, 5% beneficial owners, and owners of unregistered securities acquired within the past 180 days (the “Respondents”), as such Questionnaires may have been updated from time to time and confirmed by each of the Respondents, as well as the biographies previously provided to the Representative, is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires to become inaccurate and incorrect.
Section 2.15 Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation, or governmental proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Respondents, which has not been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus.
Section 2.16 Good Standing. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as an exempted company and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, assets, business, operations or properties of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
Section 2.17 No Consideration of a Business Combination. Prior to the date hereof, neither the Company nor any Respondent has, and as of the Closing Date, the Company and such Respondents will not have: (a) had any specific Business Combination under consideration; or (b) directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business which the Company may seek to acquire (each, a “Target Business”) or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to effecting any potential Business Combination with the Company.
Section 2.18 Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.
2.18.1 To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “FINRA Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Respondents and provided to the Representative, as such FINRA Questionnaires may have been updated from time to time and confirmed by each of the Respondents, is true and correct and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires to become inaccurate and incorrect.
2.18.2 Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements, or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting, or origination fee by the Company or any Respondent with respect to the sale of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Public Rights hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements, or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any Respondent that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.
2.18.3 Except as described herein or in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities, or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee, or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any “participating member as defined in FINRA Rule 5110(j)(15) (“Participating Member”); or (iii) to any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Participating Member, within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission.
2.18.4 To the Company’s knowledge, except as set forth in the FINRA Questionnaires, no Respondent is a Participating Member or a person associated or affiliated with a Participating Member.
2.18.5 To the Company’s knowledge, except as set forth in the FINRA Questionnaires, no Respondent is an owner of stock or other securities of any Participating Member (other than securities purchased in the open market).
2.18.6 To the Company’s knowledge, except as set forth in the FINRA Questionnaires, no Respondent has made a subordinated loan to any Participating Member.
2.18.7 No proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Public Rights (excluding underwriting compensation) will be paid to any Participating Member, or any persons associated or affiliated with a Participating Member, except as specifically authorized herein.
2.18.8 To the Company’s knowledge, except as set forth in the FINRA Questionnaires, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission has any relationship or affiliation or association with any Participating Member.
2.18.9 Except with respect to the conflict of interest involving the Representative (as defined by the FINRA Rules) described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, no Participating Member in the Offering has a conflict of interest (as defined by FINRA rules) with the Company.
2.18.10 Except with respect to the Representative in connection with the Offering and as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not entered into any agreement or arrangement (including, without limitation, any consulting agreement or any other type of agreement) during the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission, which arrangement or agreement provides for the receipt of any “underwriting compensation” as defined in FINRA Rule 5110.01 from the Company to a Participating Member.
Section 2.19 Taxes.
2.19.1 There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under U.S. federal law or the laws of any U.S. state or any political subdivision thereof, or under the laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Public Rights.
2.19.2 The Company has filed all U.S. federal, state, and local, and non-U.S., tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof, and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine, or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable.
Section 2.20 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of the Respondents or any other person acting on behalf of the Company is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that: (i) would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”) or otherwise subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal, or governmental litigation or proceeding; (ii) if not done in the past, might reasonably be expected to have had a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) if not continued in the future, might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, business, or operations of the Company. The foregoing includes, without limitation, giving or agreeing to give any money, gift, or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee, or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction). The Company’s internal accounting controls and procedures are sufficient in all material respects to cause the Company to comply with the FCPA.
Section 2.21 Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act. The operations of the Company have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any related or similar rules, regulations, or guidelines, issued, administered, or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit, or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority, body, or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
Section 2.22 Bank Secrecy Act Money Laundering; Patriot Act. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any Respondent, has violated: (i) the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, (ii) the Money Laundering Laws or (iii) the Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, and/or the rules and regulations promulgated under any such law, or any successor law.
Section 2.23 Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to its counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters and QIU as to the matters covered thereby.
Section 2.24 Agreements with Company Affiliates and Others.
2.24.1 Insider Letter. The Company has caused to be duly executed legally binding and enforceable agreement (except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification contribution provision may be limited under foreign, federal, and state securities laws, and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought) in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Insider Letter”), pursuant to which each of the Respondents agrees to certain matters, including but not limited to, the voting of the Ordinary Shares of the Company held by them and certain matters described as being agreed to by them under the “Proposed Business” section of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and Prospectus.
2.24.2 Private Units Purchase Agreement. The Sponsor has executed and delivered a unit purchase agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Private Units Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed, among other things, to purchase the Private Placement Units on the Closing Date. Pursuant to the Private Units Purchase Agreement, the Sponsor has waived any and all rights and claims it may have to any proceeds, and any interest thereon, held in the Trust Account as described in such Private Units Purchase Agreement.
2.24.3 Founder Share Subscription Agreement. The Sponsor has executed and delivered a subscription agreement (including all amendments to the date hereof), which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Founder Share Subscription Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased the Founder Shares.
2.24.4 Non-Competition/Solicitation. To the Company’s knowledge, no Respondent is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect such Respondent’s ability to be and act in the capacity of a director or officer of the Company, as applicable.
2.24.5 Registration Rights Agreement. The Company, the Representative, the holders of Founder Shares and the holders of the Private Placement Units have entered into a registration rights agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”), substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, whereby such parties will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to such securities, as set forth in such Registration Rights Agreement and described more fully in the Registration Statement.
2.24.6 Administrative Services. The Company has entered into an agreement (“Services Agreement”) with the Sponsor, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the Sponsor will make available to the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support for $20,000 per month payable until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Trust Account.
2.24.7 Investment Management Trust Agreement. The Company has entered into the Trust Agreement with respect to certain proceeds of the Offering and the Private Placement, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the funds held in the Trust Account may be released under limited circumstances. The Trust Agreement shall not be amended, modified, or otherwise changed in any way that modifies the rights or obligations of the Company without the prior written consent of the Representative.
2.24.8 Warrant Agreement. The Company has entered into a warrant agreement with respect to the Public Warrants to be issued as part of the Public Securities and the Private Warrants to be issued as part of the Private Placement Units with Efficiency, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Warrant Agreement”).
2.24.9 Rights Agreement. The Company has entered into a rights agreement with respect to the Rights to be issued as part of the Public Securities with Efficiency, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Rights Agreement”).
2.24.10 Loans. The Sponsor has agreed to make loans to the Company in the aggregate amount of up to $350,000, as described in the Registration Statement (the “Insider Loan”). The Insider Loan will not bear any interest and will be repayable by the Company upon the consummation of the Offering.
Section 2.25 Investments. No more than 45% of the “value” (as defined in Section 2(a)(41) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Investment Company Act”)) of the Company’s total assets (exclusive of cash items and “Government Securities,” as defined in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act) consist of, and no more than 45% of the Company’s net income after taxes is derived from, securities other than Government Securities.
Section 2.26 Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Public Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act.
Section 2.27 Subsidiaries. The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other business entity.
Section 2.28 Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any Respondent, on the one hand, and any customer or supplier of the Company or any Respondent, on the other hand, which is required by the Act, the Exchange Act, or the Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, which is not so described. There are no outstanding loans, advances, or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or officer of the Company.
Section 2.29 No Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Representative to offer, the Firm Units to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.
Section 2.30 Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company is in material compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“SOX”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and related or similar rules and regulations promulgated by any governmental or self-regulatory entity or agency, that are applicable to it as of the date hereof.
Section 2.31 Nasdaq Eligibility. As of the Effective Date, the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Public Rights have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Nasdaq”), subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the Effective Date the Company will be in compliance with, Nasdaq rules.
Section 2.32 Board of Directors. As of the Effective Date, the board of directors of the Company will be comprised of the persons set forth as “Directors” or “Director nominees” under the heading of the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus captioned “Management.” As of the Effective Date, the qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the board will comply with SOX and the rules promulgated thereunder and the rules of Nasdaq that are, in each case, applicable to the Company. As of the Effective Date, the Company will have an Audit Committee that satisfies the applicable requirements under SOX and the rules promulgated thereunder and the rules of Nasdaq.
Section 2.33 Emerging Growth Status. From the date of the Company’s formation through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
Section 2.34 Free-Writing Prospectus and Testing-the-Waters. The Company has not made any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405. The Company (a) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (b) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications other than its officers and the Representative and individuals engaged by the Representative. The Company has not distributed any written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule C hereto. As used herein, “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors within the meaning of Section 5(d) of the Act, and “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405.
Section 2.35 Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains effective “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act to the extent required by such rule).
Section 2.36 Definition of “Knowledge”. As used in herein, the term “knowledge of the Company” (or similar language) shall mean the knowledge of the Company’s executive officers and directors, with the assumption that such officers and directors shall have made reasonable and diligent inquiry of the matters presented.
Article III
Covenants of the Company.
The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
Section 3.1 Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company will deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and shall not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.
Section 3.2 Federal Securities Laws.
3.2.1 Compliance. During the time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company will use all reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, the Regulations, and the Exchange Act and by the regulations under the Exchange Act, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Public Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus. If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters, the General Disclosure Package and/or the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary during such period to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will notify the Representative promptly and prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3.1 hereof, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
3.2.2 Filing of Final Prospectus. The Company will promptly file the Prospectus (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) with the Commission pursuant to the requirements of Rule 424 of the Regulations.
3.2.3 Exchange Act Registration. For a period of five years from the Effective Date (except in connection with a going private transaction), or until such earlier time upon which the Trust Account is to be liquidated if a Business Combination has not been consummated as required by its Charter Documents (the “Termination Date”), the Company (i) will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants and the Public Rights and (ii) will not deregister the Public Securities, the Public Shares, the Public Warrants or the Public Rights under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.
3.2.4 Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that it will not make any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.
3.2.5 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance. As soon as it is legally required to do so, the Company shall take all actions necessary to obtain and thereafter maintain material compliance with each applicable provision of SOX and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and related or similar rules and regulations promulgated by any other governmental or self-regulatory entity or agency with jurisdiction over the Company.
Section 3.3 Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the earlier of five years after the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination, or the liquidation of the Trust Account if a Business Combination is not consummated by the Termination Date.
Section 3.4 Delivery of Materials to Underwriters. The Company will deliver to the each of the Underwriters, without charge and from time to time during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act or the Exchange Act, such number of copies of each Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements to such documents as such Underwriters may reasonably request.
Section 3.5 Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Representative. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective and will notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any foreign or state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3.5 that, in the judgment of the Company or its counsel, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, (with respect to the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and in the light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading. If the Commission or any foreign or state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
Section 3.6 Review of Financial Statements. Until the earlier of five years from the Effective Date or until the liquidation of the Trust Account if a Business Combination is not consummated by the Termination Date, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent certified public accountants to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of quarterly financial information and the filing of the Company’s Form 10-Q quarterly report.
Section 3.7 Affiliated Transactions.
3.7.1 Business Combinations. The Company will not consummate a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with any Respondent unless, in each case, (i) the Company obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders fairness opinions on the type of target business the Company is seeking to acquire that the Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view and (ii) a majority of the Company’s disinterested and independent directors (if there are any) approve such transaction.
3.7.2 Compensation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and as provided for otherwise herein and in the Insider Letter, the Company shall not pay any Respondent or any of their affiliates any fees or compensation for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, either this Offering or the Business Combination.
Section 3.8 Investor Relations Firm. Promptly after the execution of a definitive agreement for a Business Combination, the Company shall retain an investor relations firm with the expertise necessary to assist the Company both before and after the consummation of the Business Combination.
Section 3.9 Reports to the Representative.
3.9.1 Periodic Reports, etc. For a period of five years from the Effective Date or until the Termination Date or such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated and dissolved, the Company will furnish to the Representative and its counsel copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities, and shall promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company is required to file with the Commission; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company; (iii) a copy of each Current Report on Form 8-K and any Schedules 13D, 13G, 14D-1, or 13E-4 received or prepared by the Company; (iv) five copies of each registration statement filed by the Company with the Commission under the Act; and (v) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request; provided that the Representative shall sign, if requested by the Company, a Regulation FD compliant confidentiality agreement which is reasonably acceptable to the Representative and its counsel in connection with the Representative’s receipt of such information. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3.9.1.
3.9.2 Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent. For a period of five years following the Effective Date or until the Termination Date or such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company shall retain a transfer agent and warrant agent reasonably acceptable to the Representative. Efficiency is acceptable to the Representative and the Underwriters.
Section 3.10 Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the extent not paid at Closing Date, or such later date as may be agreed to by the Representative in its sole discretion, all fees and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (i) the preparation, printing, filing, and mailing (including the payment of postage with respect to such mailing) of the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, and the final Prospectus and mailing of this Agreement and related documents, including the cost of all copies thereof and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto supplied to the Underwriters in quantities as may be required by the Underwriters; (ii) the printing, engraving, issuance, and delivery of the Firm Units and Option Units, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (iii) Nasdaq filing fees or, if necessary, the qualification of the Public Securities under state or foreign securities or Blue Sky laws; (iv) fees incurred in registering the Offering with FINRA; (v) fees and disbursements of the transfer agent, right agent and warrant agent; (vi) all costs and expenses of the Company associated with “road show” marketing and “due diligence” trips for the Company’s management to meet with prospective investors, including, without limitation, all travel, food and lodging expenses associated with such trips incurred by the Company or such management; (vii) any Selling Concession; and (viii) all other reasonable out of pocket costs and expenses, including reimbursement of certain expenses of the Representative, agreed to in writing in advance incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 3.10; provided that the amount of expenses of the Representative, including legal fees and due diligence and background check fees, to be reimbursed by the Company shall not exceed $200,000 in total and shall be payable as set forth in the funds flow memorandum agreed among the parties. If the Offering is consummated, the Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date the expenses set forth above (which shall be mutually agreed upon between the Company and the Representative prior to the Closing Date) to be paid by the Company to the Representative and others.
Section 3.11 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from this Offering received by it in a manner substantially consistent with the application described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.
Section 3.12 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of the sixteenth full calendar month following the Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent public or independent certified public accountants unless required by the Act or the Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after the Effective Date.
Section 3.13 Notice to FINRA.
3.13.1 Assistance with Business Combination. For a period of sixty (60) days following the date hereof, in the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a Business Combination candidate or to provide any similar Business Combination-related services, the Company will provide the following information (the “Business Combination Information”) to the Representative: (i) complete details of all services and copies of agreements governing such services (which details or agreements may be appropriately redacted to account for privilege or confidentiality concerns); and (ii) justification as to why the person or entity providing the Business Combination-related services should not be considered an “underwriter and related person” with respect to the Company’s initial public offering, as such term is defined in FINRA Rule 5110. The Company also agrees that proper disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in the proxy statement which the Company will file for purposes of soliciting shareholder approval for the Business Combination. Upon the Company’s delivery of the Business Combination Information to the Representative, the Company hereby expressly authorizes the Representative to provide such information directly to FINRA, if required, as a result of representations the Representative has made to FINRA in connection with the Offering.
3.13.2 Broker/Dealer. In the event the Company intends to register as a broker/dealer, merge with or acquire a registered broker/dealer, or otherwise become a member of FINRA, it shall promptly notify the Representative.
Section 3.14 Stabilization. Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, officers, directors, or shareholders has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, (without the consent of the Representative) any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Public Securities.
Section 3.15 Internal Controls. From and after the Closing Date, the Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
Section 3.16 Accountants. For a period of five years from the Effective Date or until the Termination Date or such earlier time upon which the Trust Account is required to be liquidated, the Company shall retain Marcum Asia or other independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Representative.
Section 3.17 Form 8-Ks. The Company has retained Marcum Asia to audit the balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “Audited Balance Sheet”) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering and the Private Placement. Within four (4) Business Days of the Closing Date, the Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Report shall contain the Company’s Audited Balance Sheet. If the Over-Allotment Option has not been exercised on the Effective Date (and is exercised subsequent to the Effective Date), the Company will also file an amendment to the Form 8-K, or a new Form 8-K, to provide updated financial information of the Company to reflect the exercise and consummation of the Over-Allotment Option.
Section 3.18 FINRA. Until the Option Closing Date, if any, the Company shall advise the Representative if it is aware that any 10% or greater shareholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a Participating Member.
Section 3.19 Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters necessary to carry out the provisions of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been done to the reasonable satisfaction to counsel for the Underwriters.
Section 3.20 Investment Company. The Company shall cause the proceeds of the Offering to be held in the Trust Account to be invested only as set forth in the Trust Agreement as in effect on the date hereof and disclosed in the Prospectus. The Company will otherwise conduct its business in a manner so that it will not be required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, once the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will be engaged in a business other than that of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading securities.
Section 3.21 Press Releases. The Company agrees that it will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), for a period of twenty-five (25) days after the Closing Date; provided that in no event shall the Company be prohibited from issuing any press release or engaging in any other publicity required by law.
Section 3.22 Insurance. The Company will maintain directors’ and officers’ insurance (including, without limitation, insurance covering the Company, its directors and officers for liabilities or losses arising in connection with this Offering, including, without limitation, liabilities or losses arising under the Act, the Exchange Act, the Regulations and any applicable foreign securities laws).
Section 3.23 Electronic Prospectus. The Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered to the Representative, at the Company’s expense, promptly, but in no event later than two (2) Business Days from the effective date of this Agreement, an Electronic Prospectus to be used by the Representative in connection with the Offering. As used herein, the term “Electronic Prospectus” means a form of prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Public Securities for at least the period during which a Prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Act; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper prospectus and prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow recipients thereof to store and have continuously ready access to the prospectus at any future time, without charge to such recipients (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative within the period when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.
Section 3.24 Future Financings. The Company agrees that neither it, nor any successor or subsidiary of the Company, will consummate any public or private equity or debt financing prior to or in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, unless all investors in such financing expressly waive, in writing, any rights in or claims against the Trust Account.
Section 3.25 Amendment to Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify or otherwise change the Warrant Agreement, the Rights Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Private Units Purchase Agreement, the Services Agreement or the Insider Letter without the prior written consent of the Representative, which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
Section
3.26 Nasdaq Maintenance. Until the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts
to maintain the listing of the Public Securities, Public
Section 3.27 Private Placement Proceeds. On the Closing Date, the Company shall cause to be deposited from the proceeds of the Private Placement into the Trust Account an amount such that the amount of the funds in the Trust Account shall be $10.00 per Public Share sold in the Offering.
Section
3.28 Reservation of Shares. The Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized but unissued Class
A Ordinary Shares which are issuable pursuant to the Public Warrants, the Public Rights, Private Placement Units, the Private Warrants,
the Private Rights and
Section 3.29 Testing-the-Waters Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any written Testing-the-Waters Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly (i) notify the Representative so that use of the written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement, at its own expense, such written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representative in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.
Section 3.30 Distributions from Trust Account. The Company agrees that the Trust Agreement shall provide that Efficiency is required to obtain a joint written instruction signed by each of the Company and Lucosky Brookman LLP with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account from the Trust Account, prior to commencing any liquidation of the assets of the Trust Account in connection with the consummation of any Business Combination, and such provision of the Trust Agreement shall not be permitted to be amended without the prior written consent of the Representative.
Section 3.31 Right of First Refusal. The Company agrees that if the Firm Units are sold in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall grant the Representative the right of first refusal to act as the sole investment banker, sole book runner, and/or sole placement agent, at the Representative’s sole discretion, for any and all future public and private equity, equity linked and debt offerings of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Subject Transaction”). The right of first refusal shall commence as of the date of this Agreement and terminate on the twenty-fourth (24) month anniversary of the closing of a Business Combination. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(6)(A), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement or the termination date of the engagement between the Company and the Representative. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall not retain, engage or solicit any additional investment banker, book-runner, financial advisor, underwriter and/or placement agent in a Subject Transaction without the express written consent of the Representative. The Representative’s failure to exercise its preferential right with respect to any particular proposal shall not affect its preferential rights relative to future proposals.
Article IV
Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.
The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Public Securities, as provided herein, shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof and to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following conditions:
Section 4.1 Regulatory Matters.
4.1.1 Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Effective Date shall be not later than 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative, and, at the Closing Date and at each Option Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for the purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with.
4.1.2 FINRA Clearance. By the Effective Date, the Representative shall have received a letter of no objections from FINRA as to the terms and arrangements and amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.
4.1.3 No Commission Stop Order. At the Closing Date and at the Option Closing Date, if any, the Commission has not issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any part thereof, and has not instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.
4.1.4 Nasdaq Listing. The Public Securities, Public Shares, Public Warrants and the Public Rights shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution.
Section 4.2 Company Counsel Matters.
4.2.1 Opinion of Company Counsel. On each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion (along with a negative assurance letter) of Lucosky Brookman LLP, counsel to the Company, addressed to the Representative as the representative for the several Underwriters and in form mutually agreed to by the Company and the Representative.
4.2.2 Reliance. In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers of the Company and officers of departments of various jurisdiction having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be delivered to the Underwriters’ counsel if requested. The opinion of counsel for the Company and any opinion relied upon by such counsel for the Company shall include a statement to the effect that it may be relied upon by counsel for the Underwriters in its opinion delivered to the Underwriters.
4.2.3 Opinion of Cayman Islands Counsel. On each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion of Mourant Ozannes (Cayman) LLP, counsel to the Company as to the laws of the Cayman Islands, addressed to the Representative as the representative for the several Underwriters and in form mutually agreed to by the Company and the Representative.
Section 4.3 Cold Comfort Letter. At the time this Agreement is executed, and at the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a letter, addressed to the Representative as the representative for the several Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects (including the non-material nature of the changes or decreases, if any, referred to in Section 4.3.3 below) to the Representative from Marcum Asia dated, respectively, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any:
4.3.1 Confirming that they are independent accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Regulations and that they have not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act;
4.3.2 Stating that in their opinion the financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the published Regulations thereunder;
4.3.3 Stating that, on the basis of a limited review which included a reading of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements of the Company (with an indication of the date of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements), a reading of the latest available minutes of the shareholders and board of directors and the various committees of the board of directors, consultations with officers and other employees of the Company responsible for financial and accounting matters and other specified procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that: (a) the unaudited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Regulations or are not fairly presented in conformity with GAAP applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus; or (b) at a date immediately prior to the Effective Date, Closing Date or Option Closing Date, if any, as the case may be, there was any change in the share capital or long-term debt of the Company, or any decrease in the shareholders’ equity of the Company as compared with amounts shown in the October 9, 2025 balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, other than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, or, if there was any decrease, setting forth the amount of such decrease, and (c) during the period from October 9, 2025 to a specified date immediately prior to the Effective Date Closing Date or Option Closing Date, if any, as the case may be, there were any changes in revenues, net earnings (losses), or net earnings (losses) per Ordinary Share, in each case as compared with the Statement of Operations for the period from October 9, 2025 (inception) to December 31, 2025 included in the Registration Statement, or, if there was any such change, setting forth the amount of such change;
4.3.4 Stating that they have compared specific dollar amounts, numbers of shares, percentages of revenues and earnings, statements and other financial information pertaining to the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus in each case to the extent that such amounts, numbers, percentages, statements and information may be derived from the general accounting records, including work sheets, of the Company and excluding any questions requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the results obtained from the application of specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures (which procedures do not constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) set forth in the letter and found them to be in agreement; and
4.3.5 Statements as to such other matters incident to the transaction contemplated hereby as the Representative may reasonably request.
Section 4.4 Officers’ Certificates.
4.4.1 Officers’ Certificate. As of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, or Chief Financial Officer (in their capacities as such), to the effect that the Company has performed all covenants and complied with all conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Company prior to and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and that the conditions set forth in this Section 4 have been satisfied as of such date and that, as of Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof are true and correct. In addition, the Representative will have received such other and further certificates of officers of the Company as the Representative may reasonably request.
4.4.2
Section 4.5 No Material Changes. Prior to each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development involving a material adverse change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and Prospectus; (ii) no action, suit, or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Respondent before or by any court or foreign, federal, or state commission, board, or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling, or finding may have a Material Adverse Effect on the business, operations, prospects, or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Act against the Company and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations, and none of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading.
Section 4.6 Delivery of Agreements and Securities. On the Effective Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Transaction Documents.
Section 4.7 Private Placement Units. On the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as applicable, the Private Placement Units have been purchased as provided for in the Private Units Purchase Agreement, and the requisite portion of the purchase price for such securities specified in this Agreement shall be deposited into the Trust Account.
Article V
Disclosure, Indemnification and Contribution.
Section 5.1 Indemnification.
5.1.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, the QIU, and their respective partners, directors, officers, employees, members and agents, any person who controls any Underwriter or QIU within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and any “affiliate” (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act) of any Underwriter or QIU, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any and all loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation and the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative) whatsoever, as incurred, which, jointly or severally, any Underwriter or QIU or any such person may incur insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of, relates to or is based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with the Underwriter Information or primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) in connection with the Underwriter Information, which material fact was not contained in the Underwriter Information and which material fact was required to be stated in the Registration Statement or was necessary to make the Underwriter Information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in any information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company, including, without limitation, any investor presentations, or in any Blue Sky application or other information or other documents executed by the Company filed in any state or other jurisdiction or Nasdaq to qualify any or all of the Public Securities under the securities laws thereof, or arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except, with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with the Underwriter Information or primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in connection with the Underwriter Information, which material fact was not contained in the Underwriter Information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in the Underwriter Information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
5.1.2 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter and QIU, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any and all loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) whatsoever, as incurred, which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with the Underwriter Information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by such Underwriter or QIU to the Representative for delivery to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) in connection with such Underwriter Information, which material fact was not contained in such Underwriter Information and which material fact was required to be stated in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or was necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with Underwriter Information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by such Underwriter to the Representative for delivery to the Company expressly for use in, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or primarily and directly arises out of, relates to or is based on any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in connection with such Underwriter Information, which material fact was not contained in such Underwriter Information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such Underwriter Information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
5.1.3 Procedure. If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against a person (an “indemnified party”) in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any party required to provide indemnification under this Agreement (as applicable, the “indemnifying party”) such indemnified party shall promptly notify such indemnifying party in writing of the institution of such Proceeding; provided, however, that the omission or failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability which such indemnifying party may have to any indemnified party hereunder to the extent such indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability which it may have otherwise than under this Section 5. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 5.1.1 counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 5.1.2, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall any indemnifying party be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding or Proceedings. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with its written consent, such indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party or parties from and against any and all loss, damage, expense, liability or claim by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which such indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriters of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and against any of the Company’s directors or officers in connection with the sale and delivery of the Public Securities or with the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.
Section
5.2 Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 5.1 is unavailable to an indemnified party under the applicable
subsections above or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any and all losses, damages, expenses, liabilities
or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified
party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Public Securities or
(ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims,
as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering of the Public Securities
(net of underwriting discounts (as set forth in Sections 1.1.1 and
Section 5.3 QIU Indemnification. Without limitation and in addition to its obligation under the other subsections of this Section 5, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless QIU, in its capacity as the QIU, its directors, officers, agents, partners, members and employees and each controlling person from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense, as incurred, arising out of or based upon the QIU’s acting as a “qualified independent underwriter” (within the meaning of Rule 5121 of the Rules of FINRA) in connection with the Offering contemplated by this Agreement, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified person for any legal or other expense reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense results from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the QIU. Notwithstanding the indemnification set forth in this 5.3, QIU will undertake liability under Section 11 of the Exchange Act for acting as a qualified independent underwriter in connection with this Offering in compliance with FINRA Rule 5121(f)(12)(C).
Article VI
Default by an Underwriter.
Section 6.1 Default Not Exceeding 10% of Firm Units. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Units and if the number of the Firm Units with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Units that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Units to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.
Section
6.2 Default Exceeding 10% of Firm Units. In the event that the default addressed in Section 6.1 above relates to more than
10% of the Firm Units, the Representative may, in its discretion, arrange for it or for another party or parties to purchase such Firm
Units to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more
than 10% of the Firm Units the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Units, then the Company shall be entitled
to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase
said Firm Units on such terms. In the event that neither the Representative nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Firm Units
to which a default relates as provided in this
Section 6.3 Postponement of Closing Date. In the event that the Firm Units to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to, or to supplement, the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, that in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such securities.
Article VII
Additional Covenants.
Section 7.1 Additional Shares or Options. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Company hereby agrees that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it shall not issue any Class A Ordinary Shares or any options or other securities convertible into the Class A Ordinary Shares or any preference shares which participate in any manner in the Trust Account or which vote on a Business Combination or any amendment to the Company’s Charter Documents that would affect the rights granted to Public Shareholders.
Section 7.2 Trust Account Waiver Acknowledgments. The Company hereby agrees that, prior to commencing its due diligence investigation of any Target Business or obtaining the services of any vendor, it will use its best efforts to have such Target Business or vendor acknowledge in writing, whether through a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, or other similar document (and subsequently acknowledge the same in any definitive document replacing any of the foregoing), that (a) it has read the Prospectus, and understands that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of $105,000,000 for the benefit of the Public Shareholders and that the funds held in the Trust Account will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of the Company’s Business Combination; (2) the redemption of any Public Shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Charter Documents (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions of the Public Shares in connection with the Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated the Business Combination within the Completion Window or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions of the Charter Documents relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-Business Combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of the Public Shares if the Company is unable to complete the Business Combination within the Completion Window, subject in all cases to to applicable law, and (b) for and in consideration of the Company (1) agreeing to evaluate such Target Business for purposes of consummating a Business Combination with it or (2) agreeing to engage the services of the vendor, as the case may be, such Target Business or vendor agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies of the Trust Account (“Claim”) and waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The foregoing letters shall substantially be in the form attached hereto as Exhibits A and B, respectively.
Section 7.3 Insider Letter. The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action which would cause a breach of the Insider Letter and will not allow any amendments to, or waivers of, such Insider Letter without the prior written consent of the Representative.
Section 7.4 Tender Offer. Proxy, and Other Information. The Company shall provide the Representative or their counsel (if so instructed by the Representative) with copies of all tender offer documents or proxy information and all related material filed with the Commission in connection with a Business Combination concurrently with such filing with the Commission. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its EDGAR system shall be deemed to have been provided to the Representative pursuant to this Section.
Section 7.5 Rule 419. The Company agrees that it will use its best efforts to prevent the Company from becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Act prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to prevent any of the Company’s outstanding securities from being deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under the Exchange Act during such period.
Section 7.6 Target Fair Market Value. The Company agrees that the Target Business that it acquires must have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of signing the definitive agreement for the Business Combination with such Target Business. The fair market value of such business must be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and book value. In accordance with the Charter Documents, in the event the Company seeks to complete a Business Combination either (a) with a Target Business that is Affiliated (as defined in the Charter Documents) with the Sponsor (including any of its members) or any director and/or officer of the Company, or (b) where the Board of Directors of the Company is not able to independently determine that the Target Business meets such fair market value requirement, the Company, or a committee of Independent Directors (as defined in the Charter Documents), will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that the Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. The Company is not required to obtain such an opinion as to the fair market value if the Company’s Board of Directors independently determines that the Target Business does have sufficient fair market value.
Article VIII
Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery.
Section 8.1 Except as the context otherwise requires, all representations, warranties, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to be representations, warranties, and agreements at the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, and such representations, warranties, and agreements of the Underwriters and Company, including the indemnity agreements contained in Section 5 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any controlling person, and shall survive termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Public Securities to the several Underwriters until the earlier of the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations and the seventh (7th) anniversary of the Closing Date, at which time the representations, warranties and agreements shall terminate and be of no further force and effect. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, Section 1.4 herein shall remain operative and in full force and effect and shall survive termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Public Securities to the several Underwriters until the expiration of the FINRA Lockup.
Article IX
Effective Date of This Agreement and Termination Thereof.
Section 9.1 Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission.
Section 9.2 Termination. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date: (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted or, in the Representative’s sole opinion, will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the NYSE, the NYSE American LLC, the Nasdaq Stock Market or the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor trading market) shall have been suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required on the OTC Bulletin Board or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction, or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a war or an increase in existing major hostilities, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority, or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities market, or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity (including, without limitation, a calamity relating to a public health matter or natural disaster) or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representative’s sole opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Public Securities, (vii) if any of the Company’s representations, warranties or covenants hereunder are materially breached, or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof, as in the Representative’s sole judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Public Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Representative for the sale of the Public Securities.
Section 9.3 Expenses. In the event that the Offering is not consummated for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the obligations of the Company to pay the out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein shall be governed by Section 3.10 hereof.
Section 9.4 Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall not be in any way effected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
Article X
Miscellaneous.
Section 10.1 Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed by certified mail (with return receipt), delivered by hand or reputable overnight courier, delivered by facsimile transmission (with printed confirmation of receipt) and confirmed, or by electronic transmission via PDF and shall be deemed given when so mailed, delivered, faxed, or transmitted (or if mailed, five days after such mailing):
If to the Representative, to:
ARC Group Securities LLC
398 S Mill Avenue, Suite 306
Tempe, AZ 85281
Email: [***]
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC
950 Third Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn: Sally Yin, Esq.
Email:
If to the Company, to:
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398
Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Attn: Ian Hanna, Chief Executive Officer
Email:
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue
South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
Attn: Joseph M. Lucosky, Esq.
Email:
Section 10.2 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.
Section 10.3 Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.
Section 10.4 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitute the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
Section 10.5 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Underwriters, the QIU and the Company and the controlling persons, partners, directors, officers, employees, members, agents and affiliates referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained.
Section 10.6 Governing Law, Venue, etc. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Company and the Representative hereby agrees that any action, proceeding, or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York, New York County under the accelerated adjudication procedures of the Commercial Division, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, as applicable, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. Each of the Company and the Representative hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon any of the Company or the Representative, respectively, may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 10.1 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company or the Representative, respectively, in any action, proceeding, or claim. Each of the Company and the Representative agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor.
Section 10.7 Execution in Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Agreement or in any other certificate, agreement or document related to this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf’, “tif’ or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including, without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.
Section 10.8 Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.
Section 10.9 No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the offering of the Public Securities and the QIU is acting solely as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121, in connection with the Offering. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters and the QIU are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters or the QIU act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders, creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters or QIU may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the offering of the Public Securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters and the QIU hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company, the Underwriters and the QIU agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters or the QIU to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Public Securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters or the QIU with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.
[Signature Page Follows]
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this instrument shall constitute a binding agreement between us.
| Very Truly Yours, | ||
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Agreed to and accepted as of the date first written above: | ||
| ARC Group Securities LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Schedule A
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
10,500,000 Firm Units
| Underwriters | Number of Firm Units to be Purchased | |||
| ARC Group Securities LLC | [●] | |||
| Clear Street LLC | [●] | |||
| TOTAL | 10,500,000 | |||
Schedule B
Pricing Disclosure Package
| Number of Firm Units: | 10,500,000 | |||
| Number of Option Units: | 1,575,000 | |||
| Public Offering Price per Firm Unit: | $ | 10.00 | ||
| Public Offering Price per Option Unit: | $ | 10.00 | ||
| Underwriting Discount per Firm Unit: | $ | 0.00 | ||
| Underwriting Discount per Option Unit: | $ | 0.00 | ||
| Proceeds to Company per Firm Unit (before expenses) | $ | 10,500,000 | ||
| Proceeds to Company per Option Unit (before expenses): | $ | 10.00 |
Schedule C
[●]
Exhibit A
Form of Target Business Letter
ARC
Group Securities Acquisition I
398 Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”), dated [●], 2026 (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus.
We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of at least $105,000,000, for the benefit of the Public Shareholders, and that the funds held in the Trust Account will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of the Company’s Business Combination; (2) the redemption of any Public Shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as amended and restated from time to time, the “Charter Documents”) (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions of the Public Shares in connection with the Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated the Business Combination within the Completion Window (as defined in the Charter Documents) or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions of the Charter Documents relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-Business Combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of the Public Shares if the Company is unable to complete the Business Combination within the Completion Window, subject in all cases to applicable law.
For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to evaluate the undersigned for purposes of consummating a Business Combination with it, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Trust Account (each, a “Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
| Print Name of Target Business | |
| Authorized Signature of Target Business |
Exhibit B
Form of Vendor Letter
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398
Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”), dated [●], 2026 (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus.
We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of at least $105,000,000, for the benefit of the Public Shareholders, and that the funds held in the Trust Account will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of the Company’s Business Combination; (2) the redemption of any Public Shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as amended and restated from time to time, the “Charter Documents”) (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions of the Public Shares in connection with the Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated the Business Combination within the Completion Window (as defined in the Charter Documents) or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions of the Charter Documents relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-Business Combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of the Public Shares if the Company is unable to complete the Business Combination within the Completion Window, subject in all cases to applicable law.
For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to use the services of the undersigned, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Trust Account (each, a “Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
| Print Name of Vendor | |
| Authorized Signature of Vendor |
Exhibit 3.2
COMPANIES ACT (AS AMENDED)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
(adopted pursuant to special resolutions of the Company dated [●] and effective on [●])
COMPANIES ACT (AS AMENDED)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
(adopted pursuant to special resolutions of the Company dated [●] and effective on [●])
| 1. | The name of the Company is ARC Group Securities Acquisition I. |
| 2. | The registered office of the Company is at the offices of Mourant Governance Services (Cayman) Limited, 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay, PO Box 1348, Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands or at such other place as the Directors may from time to time decide. |
| 3. | The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by law as provided by section 7(4) of the Companies Act. |
| 4. | The Company shall have and be capable of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit as provided by section 27(2) of the Companies Act. |
| 5. | Nothing in the preceding paragraphs shall be deemed to permit the Company to carry on the business of a bank or trust company without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Banks and Trust Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, or to carry on insurance business from within the Cayman Islands or the business of an insurance manager, agent, sub-agent or broker without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Insurance Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, or to carry on the business of company management without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Companies Management Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands. |
| 6. | The Company will not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of the business of the Company carried on outside the Cayman Islands, provided that nothing in this Memorandum of Association shall be construed as to prevent the Company from effecting and concluding contracts in the Cayman Islands, and exercising in the Cayman Islands all of its powers necessary for the carrying on of business outside the Cayman Islands. |
| 7. | The liability of each member is limited to the amount from time to time unpaid on such member’s shares. |
| 8. | The authorised share capital of the Company is US$55,500 divided into 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each and 5,000,000 preference shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each, with the power for the Company, insofar as is permitted by law and the Articles, to redeem, purchase or redesignate any of its shares and to increase or reduce the said share capital subject to the Companies Act and the Articles and to issue any part of its capital, whether original, redeemed or increased with or without any preference, priority or special privilege or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly declare every issue of shares whether declared to be preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers hereinbefore contained. |
| 9. | The Company may exercise the power contained in section 206 of the Companies Act to deregister in the Cayman Islands and be registered by way of continuation in another jurisdiction. |
| 10. | Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Memorandum bear the meanings given to those terms in the Articles. |
COMPANIES ACT (AS AMENDED)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
(adopted pursuant to special resolutions of the Company dated [●] and effective on [●])
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| ARTICLE | PAGE |
| TABLE A | 1 |
| DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION | 1 |
| COMMENCEMENT OF BUSINESS | 7 |
| SITUATION OF REGISTERED OFFICE | 7 |
| SHARES | 8 |
| ISSUE OF SHARES | 8 |
| SHARE RIGHTS | 9 |
| CLASS B SHARE CONVERSION | 9 |
| REDEMPTION, PURCHASE AND SURRENDER OF SHARES | 11 |
| TREASURY SHARES | 11 |
| MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS | 12 |
| COMMISSION ON SALES OF SHARES | 13 |
| SHARE CERTIFICATES | 13 |
| TRANSFER AND TRANSMISSION OF SHARES | 13 |
| LIEN | 14 |
| CALL ON SHARES | 15 |
| FORFEITURE OF SHARES | 16 |
| ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL | 16 |
| GENERAL MEETINGS | 17 |
| NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS | 18 |
| PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS | 18 |
| VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS | 20 |
| PROXIES | 20 |
| CLEARING HOUSES | 21 |
| WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS OF SHAREHOLDERS | 22 |
| DIRECTORS | 22 |
| TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS | 24 |
| POWERS OF DIRECTORS | 25 |
| PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS | 26 |
| WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS OF DIRECTORS | 27 |
| PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT | 27 |
| BORROWING POWERS | 28 |
| SECRETARY | 27 |
| THE SEAL | 28 |
| DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVES | 28 |
| SHARE PREMIUM ACCOUNT | 29 |
| ACCOUNTS | 29 |
| AUDIT | 29 |
| NOTICES | 30 |
| WINDING UP AND FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS | 31 |
| INDEMNITY | 32 |
| DISCLOSURE | 32 |
| BUSINESS COMBINATION | 32 |
| BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES | 35 |
| CLOSING REGISTER OF MEMBERS OR FIXING RECORD DATE | 35 |
| REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION | 36 |
| FINANCIAL YEAR | 36 |
| AMENDMENTS TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION | 36 |
| CAYMAN ISLANDS DATA PROTECTION | 36 |
| EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND FORUM | 37 |
| i |
COMPANIES ACT (AS AMENDED)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
(adopted pursuant to special resolutions of the Company dated [●] and effective on [●])
TABLE A
| 1. | In these Articles, the regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule to the Companies Act (as defined below) do not apply except insofar as they are repeated or contained in these Articles. |
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
| 2. | In these Articles the following words and expressions shall have the meanings set out below save where the context otherwise requires: |
| Affiliate | in respect of a person, any other person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such person, and (a) in the case of a natural person, shall include, without limitation, such person’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mother-in-law and father-in-law and brothers and sisters-in-law, whether by blood, marriage or adoption or anyone residing in such person’s home, a trust for the benefit of any of the foregoing, a company, partnership or any natural person or entity wholly or jointly owned by any of the foregoing and (b) in the case of an entity, shall include a partnership, a corporation or any natural person or entity which directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such entity (and Affiliated shall have a corresponding meaning); |
| 1 |
| Applicable Law | with respect to any person, all applicable provisions of all constitutions, treaties, statutes, laws (including the common law), codes, rules, regulations, ordinances or orders of any Governmental Authority, and any orders, decisions, injunctions, awards and decrees of or agreements with any Governmental Authority; | |
| Articles | these articles of association of the Company, as amended and/or restated from time to time by Special Resolution; | |
| Audit Committee | the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company established pursuant to Article 166, or any successor audit committee; | |
| Auditors | the auditor or auditors for the time being of the Company; | |
| Board of Directors | the Directors assembled as a board or assembled as a committee appointed by that board; | |
| business day | any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorised or obligated by law to close in New York City; | |
| Business Combination | a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination involving the Company, with one or more businesses or assets (the target business), which Business Combination: (a) must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least eighty per cent (80%) of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the Company signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Business Combination; (b) must not be effectuated solely with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations; and (c) must only be effectuated if the post-business combination company in which the holders of the Public Shares hold shares will own or acquire fifty per cent (50%) or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the target business or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; | |
| Business Combination Provisions | has the meaning given in Article 183; | |
| Chairperson | the chairperson of the Board of Directors for the time being; | |
| Class or Classes | any class or classes of Shares as may from time to time be issued by the Company; |
| 2 |
| Class A Share | a Class A ordinary share with a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company; | ||
| Class B Share | a Class B ordinary share with a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company; | ||
| Class B Share Conversion | the conversion of Class B Shares in accordance with these Articles; | ||
| Companies Act | the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands; | ||
| Company | the above-named company; | ||
| Company’s Website | the main corporate/investor relations website of the Company, the address or domain name of which has been disclosed in any registration statement filed by the Company with the SEC in connection with its initial public offering, or which has otherwise been notified to Shareholders; | ||
| Completion Window | the period of time: | ||
| (a) | commencing on, and including, the closing date of the IPO; and | ||
|
(b) |
ending on the date that is twelve (12) months after the closing date of the IPO (or the date that is fifteen (15) months after the closing date of the IPO if the Company has executed, within twelve (12) months after the closing date of the IPO, a definitive agreement for a Business Combination), or such earlier date as the Directors may approve or such later time as the Shareholders may approve in accordance with these Articles; | ||
| Deputy Chairperson | means the deputy chairperson of the Board of Directors for the time being; | ||
| Designated Stock Exchange | any national securities exchange or automated system on which the Company’s securities are listed, including, but not limited to, The Nasdaq Global Market, The New York Stock Exchange or any over-the-counter (OTC) market; | ||
| Directors | the directors of the Company for the time being; | ||
| Dividend | any dividend (whether interim or final) resolved to be paid on Shares pursuant to these Articles; | ||
| DPA | has the meaning given in Article 207; | ||
| Electronic Facility | without limitation, includes website addresses and conference call systems, and any device, system, procedure, method or other facility whatsoever providing an electronic means of venue for a general meeting of the Company or meeting of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, as applicable; | ||
| 3 |
| Electronic Record | has the same meaning as in the Electronic Transactions Act; | ||
Electronic Transactions Act |
the Electronic Transactions Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands; | ||
| Equity-linked Securities | any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with a Business Combination, including, but not limited to, a private placement of equity or debt; | ||
| Founders | the Sponsor and all other Shareholders immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO; | ||
| Governmental Authority | any nation or government or any province or state or any other political subdivision thereof, or any entity, authority or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, including any court, tribunal, government authority, agency, department, board, commission or instrumentality or any political subdivision thereof, any court, tribunal or arbitrator, and any self-regulatory organisation; | ||
| Independent Director | has the meaning prescribed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange; | ||
| Initial Conversion Ratio | has the meaning given in Article 23; | ||
| IPO | the Company’s initial public offering of securities; | ||
| IPO Redemption | has the meaning given in Article 188; | ||
| Memorandum | the memorandum of association of the Company, as amended and/or restated from time to time by Special Resolution; | ||
| Ordinary Resolution | a resolution: | ||
| (a) | passed by a simple majority of the votes of such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy, at a general meeting and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Shareholder is entitled; or | ||
|
(b) |
approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time) in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders and the effective date of the resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument, or the last of such instruments, if more than one, is executed; | ||
| 4 |
| Over-Allotment Option | the option of the Underwriter(s) to purchase additional units to cover over-allotments of units at a price equal to US$10.00 per unit, less underwriting discounts and commissions; | |
| paid up | paid up as to the par value and any premium payable in respect of the issue of any Shares and includes credited as paid up; | |
| person | any natural person, firm, company, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association or other entity (whether or not having separate legal personality) or any of them as the context so requires; | |
| Personal Data | has the meaning given in Article 207; | |
| Preference Share | a preference share with a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company; | |
| Public Share | a Class A Share issued as part of the units issued in the IPO; | |
| Redemption Price | has the meaning given in Article 188; | |
| Register of Members | the register of Shareholders to be kept pursuant to these Articles and the Companies Act; | |
| Registered Office | the registered office of the Company for the time being; | |
| Representative Shares | the
Class A Shares issued to the representative of the Underwriters or its designees | |
| Seal | the common seal of the Company (if adopted) including any duplicate seal; | |
| SEC | the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; | |
| Secretary | any person appointed by the Directors to perform any of the duties of the secretary of the Company, including a joint, assistant or deputy secretary; | |
| Series | a series of a Class as may from time to time be issued by the Company; | |
| Share | a Class A Share, a Class B Share or a Preference Share and includes a fraction of a share in the Company; | |
| Share Premium Account | the share premium account established in accordance with these Articles and the Companies Act; | |
| Shareholder | any person registered in the Register of Members as the holder of one or more Shares of the Company and, where two or more persons are so registered as the joint holders of such Shares, the person whose name stands first in the Register of Members as one of such joint holders; |
| 5 |
| signed | includes an electronic signature and a signature or representation of a signature affixed by mechanical means; | ||
| Special Resolution | has the same meaning as in the Companies Act, being a resolution: | ||
| (a) | passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds (or, with respect to amending Article 114, Article 119, Article 123(g) or Article 204 (except where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of a Business Combination), a majority of not less than 90%) of the votes cast at a general meeting of such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Shareholder is entitled; or | ||
|
(b) |
approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders and the effective date of the special resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument or the last of such instruments, if more than one, is executed; | ||
| Sponsor | FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company, and its successors and assigns; | ||
| Treasury Shares | Shares that were previously issued but were purchased, redeemed, surrendered or otherwise acquired by the Company and not cancelled; | ||
| Trust Account | the trust account established by the Company upon the consummation of its IPO and into which a certain amount of the net proceeds of the IPO, together with certain of the proceeds of a private placement of securities simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, will be deposited; | ||
| Underwriter | an underwriter of the IPO from time to time and any successor underwriter; and | ||
| US Exchange Act | the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar United States federal statute and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time. | ||
| 3. | In these Articles, unless there be something in the subject or context inconsistent with such construction: |
| (a) | words importing the singular number shall include the plural number and vice versa; | |
| (b) | words importing a gender shall include other genders; |
| 6 |
| (c) | words importing persons only shall include companies, partnerships, trusts, associations and other bodies of persons, whether corporate or not; | |
| (d) | the word “may” shall be construed as permissive and the word “shall” shall be construed as imperative; | |
| (e) | the word “year” shall mean calendar year, the word “quarter” shall mean calendar quarter and the word “month” shall mean calendar month; | |
| (f) | a reference to a “dollar” or “$” is a reference to the legal currency of the United States of America; | |
| (g) | the words “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression are to be construed without limitation; | |
| (h) | a reference to any enactment includes a reference to any modification or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force; | |
| (i) | a reference to any meeting (whether of the Directors, a committee appointed by the Board of Directors or the Shareholders or any class of Shareholders) includes any adjournment of that meeting; | |
| (j) | a reference to a “place” with respect to a general meeting of the Company includes, if the Directors determine, an Electronic Facility; | |
| (k) | the term “clear days” in relation to a period of notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is received or deemed to be received and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect; | |
| (l) | sections 8 and 19 of the Electronic Transactions Act shall not apply; and | |
| (m) | a reference to “written” or “in writing” includes a reference to all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an Electronic Record. |
| 4. | Subject to the two preceding Articles, any words defined in the Companies Act shall, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, bear the same meaning in these Articles. |
| 5. | The table of contents to and the headings in these Articles are for convenience of reference only and are to be ignored in construing these Articles. |
COMMENCEMENT OF BUSINESS
| 6. | The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation as the Board of Directors shall see fit. |
| 7. | The Directors in each year shall prepare or cause to be prepared an annual return and declaration setting forth the particulars required by the Companies Act in respect of exempted companies and deliver a copy thereof to the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands. |
SITUATION OF REGISTERED OFFICE
| 8. | The Registered Office shall be at such address in the Cayman Islands as the Directors shall from time to time determine. The Company, in addition to the Registered Office, may establish and maintain such other offices and places of business and agencies in such places as the Directors may from time to time determine. |
| 7 |
SHARES
| 9. | The Directors may impose such restrictions as they think necessary on the offer and sale of any Shares. |
| 10. | The Directors may in their absolute discretion refuse to accept any application for Shares and may accept any application in whole or in part. |
| 11. | The Company may on any issue of Shares deduct any sales charge or subscription fee from the amount subscribed for the Shares. |
| 12. | No person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any Share upon any trust, and the Company shall not be bound by or recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share, or (except as otherwise provided by these Articles or as required by law) any other right in respect of any Share except an absolute right thereto in the registered holder. |
| 13. | The Directors shall keep or cause to be kept a Register of Members as required by and in any manner permitted by the Companies Act (including, without limitation, section 40B of the Companies Act) at such place or places as the Directors may from time to time determine, and in the absence of any such determination, the Register of Members shall be kept at the Registered Office. |
| 14. | The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer. |
ISSUE OF SHARES
| 15. | Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum (and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting), these Articles, and, where applicable, the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the SEC and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) with or without preferred, deferred or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper, and may also (subject to the Companies Act and these Articles) vary such rights, and for such purposes the Directors may reserve an appropriate number of Shares for the time being unissued; save that the Directors shall not allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) to the extent that it may affect the ability of the Company to carry out a Class B Share Conversion as set out in these Articles. |
| 16. | The Company may issue rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of a similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company, upon such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine, and for such purposes the Directors may reserve an appropriate number of Shares for the time being unissued. |
| 17. | The Company may issue units of securities in the Company, which may be comprised of whole or fractional Shares, rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company, upon such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine. The securities comprising any such units which are issued pursuant to the IPO can only be traded separately from one another on the 52nd day following the date of the prospectus relating to the IPO unless the Underwriter determines that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to the Company having filed a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC and a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Prior to such date, the units can be traded, but the securities comprising such units cannot be traded separately from one another. |
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| 18. | Subject to Article 40, the Directors, or the Shareholders by Ordinary Resolution, may authorise the division of Shares into any number of Classes and sub-classes and Series and sub-series and the different Classes and sub-classes and Series and sub-series shall be authorised, established and designated (or re-designated as the case may be) and the variations in the relative rights (including, without limitation, voting, dividend and redemption rights), restrictions, preferences, privileges and payment obligations as between the different Classes and Series (if any) may be fixed and determined by the Directors or the Shareholders by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 19. | The Directors may issue fractions of a Share and, if so issued, a fraction of a Share shall be subject to and carry the corresponding fraction of liabilities (whether with respect to nominal or par value, premium, calls or otherwise howsoever), limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights (including without prejudice to the foregoing generality, voting and participation rights) and other attributes of a Share. If more than one fraction of a Share is issued to or acquired by the same Shareholder, such fractions shall be accumulated. |
| 20. | The premium arising on all issues of Shares shall be held in the Share Premium Account established in accordance with these Articles. |
| 21. | Payment for Shares shall be made at such time and place and to such person on behalf of the Company as the Directors may from time to time determine. Payment for any Shares shall be made in such currency as the Directors may determine from time to time, provided that the Directors shall have the discretion to accept payment in any other currency or in kind or a combination of cash and in kind. |
SHARE RIGHTS
| 22. | With the exception that the holder of a Class B Share shall have the conversion rights referred to in Article 23, the Director appointment and removal rights referred to in Article 114, and the voting rights referred to in Article 204, and except as otherwise specified in these Articles or required by law, the rights attaching to all Class A Shares and Class B Shares shall rank pari passu in all respects, and the Class A Shares and Class B Shares shall vote together as a single class on all matters. |
CLASS B SHARE CONVERSION
| 23. | Subject to Articles 24 to 28, Class B Shares shall: |
| (a) | automatically, concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of an initial Business Combination; or | |
| (b) | at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder of such Class B Shares, |
convert into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis (the Initial Conversion Ratio).
| 24. | Notwithstanding the Initial Conversion Ratio, in the event that additional Class A Shares or any other Equity-linked Securities, are issued, or deemed issued, in excess of the amounts issued in the IPO (including pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option) and related to or in connection with the closing of a Business Combination, all Class B Shares in issue shall automatically convert into Class A Shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the initial Business Combination, and the ratio at which the Class B Shares shall convert into Class A Shares will be adjusted so that the number of Class A Shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B Shares will equal, on an as-converted basis, in the aggregate, thirty per cent (30%) of the sum of: |
| (a) | the total number of all Class A Shares in issue upon completion of the IPO (including any Class A Shares issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option and excluding the Representative Shares and any Class A Shares underlying the private placement units issued to the Sponsor in a private placement of securities simultaneously with the closing of the IPO); plus |
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| (b) | all Class A Shares and Equity-linked Securities issued or deemed issued related to or in connection with the closing of the Business Combination, excluding (i) any Shares or Equity-linked Securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the Business Combination and (ii) any private placement-equivalent units issued to the Sponsor, its Affiliates or any Director or officer of the Company upon the conversion of working capital loans made to the Company; minus | |
| (c) | the number of Public Shares redeemed in connection with (i) any amendment to these Articles prior to a Business Combination pursuant to Article 190(b), or (ii) the Business Combination. |
| 25. | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the foregoing adjustment to the Initial Conversion Ratio may be waived as to any particular issuance or deemed issuance of additional Class A Shares or Equity-linked Securities by the written consent or agreement of holders of a majority of the Class B Shares then in issue consenting or agreeing separately as a separate class in the manner provided in Articles 40 to 42. |
| 26. | The foregoing conversion ratio for Class B Shares shall also be adjusted to account for any subdivision (by share split, subdivision, exchange, capitalisation, rights issue, reclassification, recapitalisation or otherwise) or combination (by reverse share split, share consolidation, exchange, reclassification, recapitalisation or otherwise) or similar reclassification or recapitalisation of the Class A Shares in issue into a greater or lesser number of shares occurring after the adoption of these Articles without a proportionate and corresponding subdivision, combination or similar reclassification or recapitalisation of the Class B Shares in issue. |
| 27. | Each Class B Share shall convert into its pro rata number of Class A Shares as set forth in this Article 27. The pro rata share for each holder of Class B Shares will be determined as follows: each Class B Share shall convert into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to the product of 1 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Class A Shares into which all of the Class B Shares in issue shall be converted pursuant to these Articles and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Class B Shares in issue at the time of conversion. |
| 28. | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Articles, in no event may any Class B Share convert into Class A Shares at a ratio that is less than one-for-one. |
| 29. | References in Articles 23 to 28 to converted, conversion or exchange shall mean the compulsory redemption without notice of Class B Shares of any Shareholder and, on behalf of such Shareholder, automatic application of such redemption proceeds in paying for such new Class A Shares into which the Class B Shares have been converted or exchanged at a price per Class B Share necessary to give effect to a conversion or exchange calculated on the basis that the Class A Shares to be issued as part of the conversion or exchange will be issued at par. The Class A Shares to be issued on an exchange or conversion shall be registered in the name of such Shareholder or in such name as the Shareholder may direct. |
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REDEMPTION, PURCHASE AND SURRENDER OF SHARES
| 30. | Subject to the Companies Act and the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company may: |
| (a) | issue Shares on terms that they are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company and/or the Shareholder on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine; | |
| (b) | purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine and agree with the Shareholder; | |
| (c) | make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner authorised by the Companies Act, including out of its capital; and | |
| (d) | accept the surrender for no consideration of any paid up Share (including any redeemable Share) on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine. |
| 31. | With respect to redeeming or repurchasing the Shares: |
| (a) | Shareholders who hold Public Shares are entitled to request the redemption of such Shares in the circumstances described in these Articles; | |
| (b) | Shares held by the Founders shall be surrendered by the Founders on a pro rata basis for no consideration to the extent that the Over-Allotment Option is not exercised in full so that the Founders will own, on an as converted basis, in the aggregate thirty per cent (30%) of the Company’s issued Shares after the IPO (including any Class A Shares issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option but excluding the Representative Shares and any Class A Shares underlying the private placement units issued to the Sponsor in a private placement of securities simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, and assuming the Founders do not purchase any Public Shares in the IPO); and | |
| (c) | Public Shares shall be repurchased by way of tender offer in the circumstances set out in these Articles. |
| 32. | The redemptions and repurchases of Shares in the circumstances described in Article 31 above shall not require further approval of the Shareholders. |
| 33. | Any Share in respect of which notice of redemption has been given shall not be entitled to participate in the profits of the Company in respect of the period after the date specified as the date of redemption in the notice of redemption. |
| 34. | The redemption, purchase or surrender of any Share shall not be deemed to give rise to the redemption, purchase or surrender of any other Share. |
| 35. | The Directors may when making payments in respect of a redemption or purchase of Shares, if authorised by the terms of issue of the Shares being redeemed or purchased or with the agreement of the holder of such Shares, make such payment either in cash or in specie including, without limitation, interests in a special purpose vehicle holding assets of the Company or holding entitlement to the proceeds of assets held by the Company or in a liquidating structure. |
TREASURY SHARES
| 36. | Shares that the Company purchases, redeems or acquires (by way of surrender or otherwise) may, at the option of the Company, be cancelled immediately or held as Treasury Shares in accordance with the Companies Act. In the event that the Directors do not specify that the relevant Shares are to be held as Treasury Shares, such Shares shall be cancelled. |
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| 37. | No dividend may be declared or paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the Company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to Shareholders on a winding up) may be declared or paid in respect of a Treasury Share. |
| 38. | The Company shall be entered in the Register of Members as the holder of the Treasury Shares provided that: |
| (a) | the Company shall not be treated as a Shareholder for any purpose and shall not exercise any right in respect of the Treasury Shares, and any purported exercise of such a right shall be void; and | |
| (b) | a Treasury Share shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting of the Company and shall not be counted in determining the total number of issued shares at any given time, whether for the purposes of these Articles or the Companies Act, save that an allotment of Shares as fully paid bonus shares in respect of Treasury Shares is permitted and Shares allotted as fully paid bonus shares in respect of Treasury Shares shall be treated as Treasury Shares. |
| 39. | Treasury Shares may be disposed of by the Company on any terms and conditions as determined by the Directors. The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including for nil consideration). |
MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS
| 40. | If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different Classes of Shares, the rights attached to any Class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that Class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied without the consent in writing of the holders of the issued Shares of that Class where such variation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, except with respect to a waiver granted pursuant to Article 25 which as stated therein shall only require the written consent or agreement of holders of a majority of the Class B Shares then in issue, any such variation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two thirds of the issued Shares of that Class, or with the approval of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that Class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant Class. |
| 41. | For the purposes of a separate Class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the Classes of Shares as forming one Class of Shares if the Directors consider that such Class of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate Classes of Shares. |
| 42. | To any such meeting all the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis, except that the necessary quorum shall be one or more persons holding or representing by proxy at least one third in nominal or par value amount of the issued Shares of the Class (but so that if at any adjourned meeting of such holders a quorum as above defined is not present, those Shareholders who are present shall form a quorum). |
| 43. | The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any Class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that Class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith, any variation of the rights conferred upon the holders of Shares of any other Class, or the redemption or purchase of any Shares of any Class by the Company. |
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COMMISSION ON SALES OF SHARES
| 44. | The Company may, in so far as the Companies Act permits, pay a commission to any person in consideration of that person subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful. |
SHARE CERTIFICATES
| 45. | The Shares will be issued in fully registered, book-entry form. A Shareholder shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall be signed by one or more Directors or other person(s) authorised by the Directors. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and, subject to these Articles, no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled. |
| 46. | If a share certificate is defaced, worn out lost or destroyed it may be renewed on payment of such fee, if any, and on such terms if any, as to evidence and obligations to indemnify the Company as the Board of Directors may determine and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery of the old certificate. |
| 47. | Every share certificate sent in accordance with these Articles will be sent at the risk of the Shareholder or other person entitled to the certificate. The Company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery. |
| 48. | Every share certificate of the Company shall bear legends required under Applicable Law, including the US Exchange Act. |
TRANSFER AND TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
| 49. | Subject to these Articles and the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange or any applicable rules of the SEC or securities laws (including, but not limited to the US Exchange Act), a Shareholder may transfer all or any of that Shareholder’s Shares. |
| 50. | The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in: (a) any usual or common form; (b) any form prescribed by the Designated Stock Exchange; or (c) any other form as the Directors may determine, and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and if in respect of a nil or partly paid up Share, or if so required by the Directors, shall also be executed on behalf of the transferee and shall be accompanied by the certificate (if any) of the Shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members in respect of the relevant Shares. |
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| 51. | Subject to the terms of issue thereof and the rules or regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange or any relevant rules of the SEC or securities laws (including, but not limited to, the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended), the Directors may determine to decline to register any transfer of Shares without assigning any reason therefor. If the Shares in question were issued in conjunction with rights, options or warrants issued pursuant to these Articles on terms that one cannot be transferred without the other, the Directors shall refuse to register the transfer of any such Share without evidence satisfactory to them of the like transfer of such option or warrant. |
| 52. | The registration and transfer of Shares may be suspended at such times and for such periods as the Directors may from time to time determine, subject to the requirements of the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange (including as to notice). |
| 53. | All instruments of transfer which are registered shall be retained by the Company, but any instrument of transfer which the Directors may decline to register shall (except in any case of fraud) be returned to the person depositing the same. |
| 54. | In case of the death of a Shareholder, the survivors or survivor (where the deceased was a joint holder) and the executors or administrators of the deceased where the deceased was the sole or only surviving holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having title to the deceased’s interest in the Shares, but nothing in this Article shall release the estate of the deceased holder whether sole or joint from any liability in respect of any Share solely or jointly held by the deceased. |
| 55. | Any guardian of an infant Shareholder and any curator bonis or other legal representative of a Shareholder under legal disability and any person entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall, upon producing such evidence of title as the Directors may require, have the right either to be registered as the holder of the Share or to make such transfer thereof as the deceased or bankrupt Shareholder could have made, but the Directors shall in either case have the same right to refuse or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Shares by the infant or by the deceased or bankrupt Shareholder before the death or bankruptcy or by the Shareholder under legal disability before such disability. |
| 56. | A person so becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall have the right to receive and may give a discharge for all dividends and other money payable or other advantages due on or in respect of the Share, but such person shall not be entitled to receive notice of or to attend or vote at meetings of the Company, or save as aforesaid, to any of the rights or privileges of a Shareholder unless and until such person shall be registered as a Shareholder in respect of the Share provided always that the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered or to transfer the Share and if the notice is not complied with within ninety (90) days the Directors may thereafter withhold all dividends or other monies payable or other advantages due in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with. |
LIEN
| 57. | The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Shareholder (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Shareholder or the Shareholder’s estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Shareholder or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien thereon. The Company’s lien on a Share shall also extend to any amount payable in respect of that Share. |
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| 58. | The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen (14) clear days after notice has been given to the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold. |
| 59. | To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or the purchaser’s nominee shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and the purchaser shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall the purchaser’s title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Company’s power of sale under these Articles. |
| 60. | The net proceeds of such sale, after payment of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale. |
CALL ON SHARES
| 61. | Subject to the terms of the allotment the Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Shareholders in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares (whether in respect of par value or premium), and each Shareholder shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen (14) days’ notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the Shares. A call may be revoked or postponed as the Directors may determine. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon them notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made. |
| 62. | A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed. |
| 63. | The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof. |
| 64. | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid at such rate as the Directors may determine, but the Directors may waive payment of the interest wholly or in part. |
| 65. | An amount payable in respect of a Share on allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the par value of the Share or premium or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid all the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call. |
| 66. | The Directors may issue Shares with different terms as to the amount and times of payment of calls, or the interest to be paid. |
| 67. | The Directors may, if they think fit, receive an amount from any Shareholder willing to advance all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by such Shareholder, and may (until the amount would otherwise become payable) pay interest at such rate as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Shareholder paying such amount in advance. |
| 68. | No such amount paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Shareholder paying such amount to any portion of a dividend declared in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such amount would, but for such payment, become payable. |
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FORFEITURE OF SHARES
| 69. | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than fourteen (14) clear days’ notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued. The notice shall specify where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. |
| 70. | If the notice is not complied with any Share in respect of which it was given may, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors. Such forfeiture shall include all dividends or other monies declared payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture. |
| 71. | A forfeited Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited Share is to be transferred to any person the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share in favour of that person. |
| 72. | A person any of whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Shareholder in respect of them and shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate for the Shares forfeited and shall remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which at the date of forfeiture were payable by such person to the Company in respect of those Shares together with interest, but such person’s liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies due and payable by such person in respect of those Shares. |
| 73. | A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or officer of the Company that a Share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the fact as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share. The certificate shall (subject to the execution of any instrument of transfer) constitute a good title to the Share and the person to whom the Share is disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall such person’s title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share. |
| 74. | The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the par value of the Share or by way of premium as if it had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL
| 75. | The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase its share capital by such sum to be divided into Shares of such Classes and amounts, with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto as the resolution shall prescribe. |
| 76. | All new Shares shall be subject to the provisions of these Articles with reference to transfer, transmission and otherwise. |
| 77. | Subject to the Companies Act, the Company may by Special Resolution from time to time reduce its share capital in any way, and in particular, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, may: |
| (a) | cancel any paid-up share capital which is lost, or which is not represented by available assets; or |
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| (b) | pay off any paid-up share capital which is in excess of the requirements of the Company, |
and may, if and so far as is necessary, alter the Memorandum by reducing the amounts of its share capital and of its Shares accordingly.
| 78. | The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution alter (without reducing) its share capital by: |
| (a) | consolidating and dividing all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares; | |
| (b) | sub-dividing its Shares, or any of them, into Shares of smaller amount than that fixed by the Memorandum so, however, that in the sub-division the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in the case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived; or | |
| (c) | cancelling any Shares which, at the date of the passing of the Ordinary Resolution, have not been taken, or agreed to be taken by any person, and diminishing the amount of its authorised share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled. |
GENERAL MEETINGS
| 79. | For so long as any Shares are listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Company shall to the extent required by the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it, unless such Designated Stock Exchange does not require the holding of an annual general meeting. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint in accordance with the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented. |
| 80. | All general meetings (other than annual general meetings) shall be called extraordinary general meetings. |
| 81. | A majority of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors may proceed to call a general meeting whenever they think fit. The Directors shall convene a general meeting on the requisition of one or more Shareholders holding at the date of the deposit of the requisition Shares that represent at least thirty per cent (30%) of the voting rights of the issued Shares carrying the right to vote on the matter for which the meeting is requisitioned. The following provisions shall apply to a requisition of Shareholders pursuant to this Article: |
| (a) | The requisition: |
| (i) | must be in writing and state the objects of the meeting; | |
| (ii) | must be signed by each requisitionist and deposited at the Registered Office; and | |
| (iii) | may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists. |
| (b) | If the Directors do not within twenty-one (21) days from the date of the deposit of the requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall be held no later than the day which falls three months after the expiration of the said twenty-one (21) days. |
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| (c) | A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are convened by the Directors. |
| 82. | Shareholders seeking to bring business before an annual general meeting or to nominate candidates for election as Directors at an annual general meeting must deliver notice to the principal executive offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual general meeting. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the US Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in the annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. |
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
| 83. | At least five (5) clear days’ notice specifying the place, the day and the hour of any general meeting, and in case of special business the general nature of such business (and in the case of an annual general meeting specifying the meeting as such), shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned to such persons as are under these Articles or the conditions of issue of the Shares held by them entitled to receive notices from the Company. If the Directors determine that prompt Shareholder action is advisable, they may shorten the notice period for any general meeting to such period as the Directors consider reasonable. |
| 84. | A general meeting shall, notwithstanding that it is called by shorter notice than that specified in the preceding Article, be deemed to have been duly called with regard to the length of notice if it is so agreed: |
| (a) | in the case of a meeting called as the annual general meeting by all the Shareholders entitled to attend and vote thereat; and | |
| (b) | in the case of any other meeting by a majority in number of the Shareholders having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority together holding not less than ninety-five per cent (95%) in nominal value of the issued Shares giving that right. |
| 85. | In every notice calling a general meeting, there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that a Shareholder entitled to attend and vote either (i) is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend such meeting and vote instead of such Shareholder and that a proxy need not also be a Shareholder or (ii) has appointed a proxy who, unless such appointment is revoked, will attend such meeting and vote on behalf of such Shareholder. |
| 86. | The accidental omission to give notice to, or the non-receipt of notice by, any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings at any general meeting. |
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
| 87. | All business shall be deemed special that is transacted at an extraordinary general meeting, and also all business that is transacted at an annual general meeting with the exception of declaring or approving the payment of dividends, the consideration of the accounts and balance sheet and the reports of the Directors and Auditors, the election of Directors in the place of those retiring, the appointment of additional Directors, the fixing of the remuneration of the Directors and the fixing of the remuneration of the Auditors. |
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| 88. | No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. Save as otherwise provided in these Articles a quorum shall be the presence, in person or by proxy, of one or more persons holding Shares that represent at least one third of the issued Shares which confer the right to attend and vote thereat. |
| 89. | Save as otherwise provided for in these Articles, if within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of or by Shareholders, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place or to such other day and at such other time and place as the Directors may determine and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within fifteen (15) minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting, the Shareholders present shall be a quorum. |
| 90. | A person may, with the consent of the Directors, participate at a general meeting by means of Electronic Facility or telephone, video or similar communication equipment and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at such meeting. |
| 91. | The Chairperson (if any) or, if absent, the Deputy Chairperson (if any) of the Board of Directors, or, failing them, some other Director nominated by the Directors shall preside as Chairperson at every general meeting, but if at any meeting neither the Chairperson nor the Deputy Chairperson nor such other Director be present within fifteen (15) minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or if neither of them be willing to act as chairperson of the meeting, the Directors present shall choose some Director present to be chairperson of the meeting or if no Directors be present, or if all the Directors present decline to take the chair, the Shareholders present shall choose some Shareholder present to be chairperson of the meeting. The chairperson of a general meeting from time to time may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings as he or she sees fit. |
| 92. | The chairperson of any general meeting may with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting except business which might lawfully have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. The chairperson of any general meeting may adjourn such meeting without the consent of such meeting if, in the chairperson’s sole opinion, the chairperson considers it necessary to do so to: secure the orderly conduct or proceedings of the meeting; or give all persons present in person or by proxy and having the right to speak and/or vote at such meeting, the ability to do so, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for thirty (30) days or more, five (5) calendar days’ notice at the least specifying the place, the day and the hour of the adjourned meeting, shall be given as in the case of the original meeting but it shall not be necessary to specify in such notice the nature of the business to be transacted at the adjourned meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting. |
| 93. | The Directors may cancel or postpone any duly convened general meeting, except for general meetings requisitioned by the Shareholders in accordance with these Articles, for any reason or for no reason at any time prior to the time for holding such meeting or, if the meeting is adjourned, the time for holding such adjourned meeting. The Directors shall give the Shareholders notice in writing of any cancellation or postponement. A postponement may be for a stated period of any length or indefinitely as the Directors may determine. |
| 94. | At any general meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided by poll and not on a show of hands. |
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| 95. | A poll shall be taken in such manner as the chairperson of the meeting may direct (including the use of a ballot or voting papers, or tickets) and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting. The chairperson of the meeting may appoint scrutineers. If, through the aid of an Electronic Facility, the meeting is held in more than one place, the chairperson of the meeting may appoint scrutineers in more than one place, but if the chairperson of the meeting considers that the poll cannot be monitored effectively at the meeting, the chairperson of the meeting may adjourn the meeting to a place (or places), date and time at which the chairperson of the meeting believes it will be possible for the poll to be monitored effectively. |
| 96. | In the case of an equality of votes the chairperson of the meeting at which the poll is taken shall not be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS
| 97. | Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any Shares, on a poll every holder of Shares, present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, shall be entitled to one vote in respect of each Share held by them. |
| 98. | In the case of joint holders of a Share, the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register of Members in respect of the Shares. |
| 99. | A Shareholder who has appointed special or general attorneys or a Shareholder who is subject to a disability may vote on a poll, by such Shareholder’s attorney, committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person in the nature of a committee, receiver, or curator bonis appointed by a court and such attorney, committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person may on a poll vote by proxy; provided that such evidence as the Directors may require of the authority of the person claiming to vote shall, unless otherwise waived by the Directors, have been deposited at the Registered Office not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which such person claims to vote. |
| 100. | No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered, and every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairperson of the meeting, whose decision shall be final and conclusive. |
| 101. | On a poll votes may be given either personally or by proxy and a Shareholder entitled to more than one vote need not, if the Shareholder votes, use all their votes or cast all the votes the Shareholder uses in the same way. |
PROXIES
| 102. | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of the appointor’s attorney duly authorised in writing, or if the appointor is a corporation, either under its common seal or under the hand of an officer or attorney so authorised. |
| 103. | Any person (whether a Shareholder or not) may be appointed to act as a proxy. A Shareholder may appoint more than one proxy to attend on the same occasion. |
| 104. | The instrument appointing a proxy and the power of attorney or other authority (if any) under which it is signed, or a certified copy of such power or authority, must be deposited: |
| (a) | at the Registered Office, or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice of meeting or in the instrument of proxy issued by the Company; and |
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| (b) | by such time (no later than the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting) as is specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, |
provided that the chairperson of the meeting may in the chairperson’s discretion accept an instrument of proxy sent by fax, email or other electronic means and/or direct that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited (or deemed to have been duly deposited) in the manner permitted shall be invalid.
| 105. | An instrument of proxy shall: |
| (a) | be in any common form or in such other form as the Directors may approve; | |
| (b) | be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll and to vote on any amendment of a resolution put to the general meeting for which it is given as the proxy thinks fit; and | |
| (c) | subject to its terms, be valid for any adjournment of the general meeting for which it is given. |
| 106. | The Directors may at the expense of the Company send to the Shareholders instruments of proxy (with or without prepaid postage for their return) for use at any general meeting, either in blank or nominating in the alternative any one or more of the Directors or any other persons. If for the purpose of any meeting invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the expense of the Company, such invitations shall be issued to all (and not to some only) of the Shareholders entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting and to vote thereat by proxy. |
| 107. | A vote given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the death or insanity of the principal or the revocation of the instrument of proxy, or of the authority under which the instrument of proxy was executed; provided that no intimation in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer shall have been received by the Company at the Registered Office before commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the instrument of proxy is used. |
| 108. | Anything which under these Articles a Shareholder may do by proxy that Shareholder may also do by a duly appointed attorney. The provisions of these Articles relating to proxies and instruments appointing proxies apply, mutatis mutandis, to any such attorney and the instrument appointing that attorney. |
| 109. | Any Shareholder which is a corporation, partnership or other body corporate may, by a resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting or meetings of the Company. The person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of such corporation or partnership as the corporation or partnership could exercise if it were a Shareholder who was an individual and such corporation or partnership shall for the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be present in person at any such meeting if a person so authorised is present. |
CLEARING HOUSES
| 110. | If a clearing house (or its nominee(s)), being a corporation, is a Shareholder it may, by resolution of its directors or other governing body or by power of attorney, authorise such person or persons as it thinks fit to act as its representative or representatives at any general meeting or at any meeting of any class of Shareholders provided that, if more than one person is so authorised, the authorisation shall specify the number and Class of Shares in respect of which each such person is so authorised. A person so authorised pursuant to this Article shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the clearing house (or its nominee) which that person represents as that clearing house (or its nominee) could exercise if it were an individual Shareholder holding the number and Class of Shares specified in such authorisation. |
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WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS OF SHAREHOLDERS
| 111. | A resolution in writing signed by all the Shareholders for the time being entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote at a general meeting (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time) shall be as valid and effective as a resolution passed at a general meeting duly convened and held and may consist of several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of the Shareholders. |
DIRECTORS
| 112. | There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of not less than one person (exclusive of alternate Directors), provided, however, that the Directors may from time to time fix the maximum and minimum number of Directors to be appointed by resolution of the Board of Directors. |
| 113. | A Director need not be a Shareholder but shall be entitled to receive notice of and attend all general meetings. |
| 114. | Prior to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares (only) appoint any person to be a Director or remove any Director for any reason. For the avoidance of doubt, prior to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, holders of Class A Shares shall have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of any Director; provided, however, that if all of the Class B Shares are converted prior to the date of the initial Business Combination, the holders of Class A Shares will have the right to vote on the election of Directors. |
| 115. | Following the consummation of an initial Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution (of all Shareholders entitled to vote) appoint or remove any Director in accordance with these Articles. |
| 116. | For so long as any of the Shares are listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall be divided into three (3) classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. Directors shall be assigned to each class in accordance with a resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors. At the first annual general meeting after the IPO, the term of office of the Class I Directors shall expire and Class I Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the second annual general meeting after the IPO, the term of office of the Class II Directors shall expire and Class II Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the third annual general meeting after the IPO, the term of office of the Class III Directors shall expire and Class III Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At each succeeding annual general meeting, Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years to succeed the Directors of the class whose terms expire at such annual general meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, each Director shall hold office until the expiration of such Director’s term, until their successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of Directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. |
| 117. | The Directors may appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director; provided that the appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any number fixed by or in accordance with these Articles as the maximum number of Directors. Any Director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of Directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such Director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation, death or removal. When the number of Directors is increased or decreased, the Board of Directors shall, subject to Article 116, determine the class or classes to which the increased or decreased number of Directors shall be apportioned; provided, however, that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. |
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| 118. | Each Director shall be entitled to such remuneration as approved by the Board of Directors and this may be in addition to such remuneration as may be payable under any provision of these Articles. Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day. The Directors and the Secretary may also be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in attending and returning from meetings of the Directors or any committee of the Directors or general meetings or in connection with the business of the Company. The Directors may, in addition to such remuneration as aforesaid, grant special remuneration to any Director who, being called upon, shall perform any special or extra services to or at the request of the Company. |
| 119. | Articles 114, 123(g) and 204, and this Article 119, may only be amended by a Special Resolution passed by a majority of not less than ninety per cent (90%) of the votes cast at a general meeting. |
| 120. | Each Director shall have the power to appoint another Director or any other person to act as alternate Director in the Director’s place at any meeting of the Directors at which the Director is unable to be present and at the Director’s discretion to remove such alternate Director. On such appointment being made the alternate Director shall (except as regards the power to appoint an alternate Director) be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions existing with reference to the other Directors and each alternate Director, whilst acting in the place of an absent Director, shall exercise and discharge all the functions, powers and duties of the Director being represented. Any Director who is appointed as alternate Director shall be entitled at a meeting of the Directors to cast a vote on behalf of their appointor in addition to the vote to which such Director is entitled in their own capacity as a Director, and shall also be considered as two Directors for the purpose of forming a quorum of Directors. Any person appointed as an alternate Director shall automatically vacate such office as an alternate Director if and when the Director by whom the alternate Director has been appointed vacates their office of Director. The remuneration of an alternate Director shall be payable out of the remuneration of the Director appointing such alternate Director and shall be agreed between them. |
| 121. | Every instrument appointing an alternate Director shall be in such form as the Directors may approve. |
| 122. | The appointment and removal of an alternate Director shall take effect when lodged at the Registered Office or delivered at a meeting of the Directors. |
| 123. | The office of a Director shall be vacated in any of the following events, namely: |
| (a) | if the Director resigns their office by notice in writing signed by that Director and delivered to the Registered Office; | |
| (b) | if the Director is absent (for the avoidance of doubt, without being represented by proxy or an alternate Director appointed by that Director) from three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and the Directors pass a resolution that the relevant Director has by reason of such absence vacated office; | |
| (c) | if the Director becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with such Director’s creditors generally; |
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| (d) | if the Director dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; | |
| (e) | if the Director ceases to be a Director by virtue of, or becomes prohibited from being a Director by reason of, an order made under any provisions of Applicable Law; | |
| (f) | if the Director is requested by all of the other Directors to vacate office; | |
| (g) | prior to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, if the Director is removed from office by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares (only); or | |
| (h) | following the consummation of an initial Business Combination, if the Director is removed from office by Ordinary Resolution (of all Shareholders entitled to vote). |
TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS
| 124. | A Director or alternate Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with their office of Director on such terms as to tenure of office and otherwise as the Directors may determine. |
| 125. | No Director or intending Director shall be disqualified by their office from contracting with the Company either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director is in any way interested be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established, but the nature of the Director’s interest must be declared by such Director at the meeting of the Directors at which the question of entering into the contract or arrangement is first taken into consideration, or if the Director was not at the date of that meeting interested in the proposed contract or arrangement, then at the next meeting of the Directors held after such Director becomes so interested, and in a case where the Director becomes interested in a contract or arrangement after it is made, then at the first meeting of the Directors held after such Director becomes so interested. |
| 126. | In the absence of some other material interest than is indicated below, provided a Director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with the Company declares (whether by specific or general notice) the nature of their interest at a meeting of the Directors that Director may vote in respect of any contract or proposed contract or arrangement notwithstanding that the Director may be interested therein and if such Director does so their vote shall be counted and such Director may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of the Directors at which any such contract or proposed contract or arrangement shall come before the meeting for consideration. A general notice given to the Directors by any Director to the effect that such Director is a member of any specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may thereafter be made with that company or firm shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of interest in regard to any contract so made. |
| 127. | Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more Directors to offices or employments with the Company or any company in which the Company is interested, such proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each Director separately and in such cases each of the Directors concerned shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of each resolution except that concerning the Director’s own appointment. |
| 128. | Any Director may act independently or through the Director’s firm in a professional capacity for the Company, and the Director or the firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if the Director were not a Director, provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise a Director or the Director’s firm to act as Auditor to the Company. |
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| 129. | Any Director may continue to be or become a director, managing director, manager or other officer or shareholder of any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested, and no such Director shall be accountable for any remuneration or other benefits received by the Director as a director, managing director, manager or other officer or shareholder of any such other company. The Directors may exercise the voting power conferred by the shares in any other company held or owned by the Company or exercisable by them as directors of such other company, in such manner in all respects as they think fit (including the exercise thereof in favour of any resolution appointing themselves or any of them directors, managing directors or other officers of such company, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the directors, managing directors or other officers of such company). |
POWERS OF DIRECTORS
| 130. | The business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors, who may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not by the Companies Act or by these Articles required to be exercised by the Company in general meeting, subject nevertheless to any regulations of these Articles, to the Companies Act, and to such regulations being not inconsistent with the aforesaid regulations or provisions as may be prescribed by the Company in general meeting, but no regulations made by the Company in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if such regulations had not been made. The general powers given by this Article shall not be limited or restricted by any special authority or power given to the Directors by any other Article. |
| 131. | The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney appoint any company, firm or person or any fluctuating body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such powers authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys as the Directors may think fit, and may also authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in such attorney. |
| 132. | The Directors may also appoint any person to be the agent of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and on such conditions as they determine, including authority for the agent to delegate all or any of their powers. |
| 133. | The Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to the Director’s widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance. |
| 134. | The Directors shall have the authority to present a winding up petition on behalf of the Company without the sanction of a resolution passed by the Company in general meeting. |
| 135. | All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments drawn by the Company, and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed, as the case may be, in such manner as the Directors shall from time to time by resolution determine. |
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PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
| 136. | The Directors may meet together for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings, as they think fit. Questions and matters arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. A Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors. |
| 137. | A Director or Directors may participate in any meeting of the Board, or of any committee appointed by the Board of Directors of which such Director or Directors are members, by means of an Electronic Facility or other telephone, video or similar communication equipment by way of which all persons participating in such meeting can hear each other and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting. |
| 138. | The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors and, unless so fixed, shall be a majority of the Directors then in office. |
| 139. | The continuing Directors or a sole continuing Director may act notwithstanding any vacancies in their number, but if and so long as the number of Directors is reduced below any minimum number fixed by or in accordance with these Articles the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of filling up vacancies in their number, or of summoning general meetings, but not for any other purpose. If there be no Directors or Director able or willing to act, then any two Shareholders may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. |
| 140. | The Directors may from time to time elect and remove a Chairperson and, if they think fit, a Deputy Chairperson and determine the period for which they respectively are to hold office. The Chairperson or, failing them, the Deputy Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Directors, but if there be no Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson, or if at any meeting the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson be not present within five (5) minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be Chairperson of the meeting. |
| 141. | A meeting of the Directors for the time being at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Directors. |
| 142. | Without prejudice to the powers conferred by these Articles, the Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of their body as they think fit. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the powers so delegated, conform to any regulations that may be imposed on them by the Directors. The Directors may, by power of attorney or otherwise, appoint any person to be an attorney or agent of the Company on such condition as the Directors may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers. |
| 143. | The meetings and proceedings of any such committee consisting of two or more Directors shall be governed by the provisions of these Articles regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Directors so far as the same are applicable and are not superseded by any regulations made by the Directors under the preceding Article. |
| 144. | The Directors may appoint such officers as they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of the officer’s appointment an officer may be removed by resolution of the Directors or by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 145. | All acts done by any meeting of Directors, or of a committee of Directors or by any person acting as a Director, shall, notwithstanding it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Director or person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them were disqualified, or had vacated office, or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed, and was qualified and had continued to be a Director and had been entitled to vote. |
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| 146. | The Directors shall cause minutes to be made of: |
| (a) | all appointments of officers made by the Directors; | |
| (b) | the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of Directors; and | |
| (c) | all resolutions and proceedings of all meetings of the Company and of the Directors and of any committee of Directors. |
Any such minutes, if purporting to be signed by the Chairperson of the meeting at which the proceedings took place, or by the Chairperson of the next succeeding meeting, shall, until the contrary be proved, be conclusive evidence of their proceedings.
| 147. | A Director but not an alternate Director may be represented at any meetings of the Board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing by the Director. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director. |
WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS OF DIRECTORS
| 148. | A resolution in writing signed by all the Directors for the time being entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the Directors (an alternate Director being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of their appointor) shall be as valid and effective as a resolution passed at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held and may consist of several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of the Directors (or their alternates). |
PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT
| 149. | A Director or alternate Director who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless the Director’s dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless the Director shall file their written dissent from such action with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered mail to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action. |
BORROWING POWERS
| 150. | The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
SECRETARY
| 151. | The Directors may appoint any person to be a Secretary who shall hold office for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions and with such powers as they think fit. Any Secretary so appointed by the Directors may be removed by the Directors or by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. Anything required or authorised to be done by or to the Secretary may, if the office is vacant or there is for any other reason no Secretary capable of acting, be done by or to any assistant or deputy Secretary or if there is no assistant or deputy Secretary capable of acting, by or to any officer of the Company authorised generally or specially in that behalf by the Directors, provided that any provisions of these Articles requiring or authorising a thing to be done by or to a Director and the Secretary shall not be satisfied by its being done by or to the same person acting both as Director and as, or in the place of, the Secretary. |
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| 152. | No person shall be appointed or hold office as Secretary who is: |
| (a) | the sole Director; | |
| (b) | a corporation the sole director of which is the sole Director; or | |
| (c) | the sole director of a corporation which is the sole Director. |
THE SEAL
| 153. | If a Seal is adopted, the Directors shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal and the Seal shall never be used except by the authority of a resolution of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors in that behalf. The Directors may keep for use outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal. The Directors may from time to time as they see fit (subject to the provisions of these Articles relating to share certificates) determine the persons and the number of such persons in whose presence the Seal or the facsimile thereof shall be used, and until otherwise so determined the Seal or the duplicate thereof shall be affixed in the presence of any one Director or the Secretary, or of some other person duly authorised by the Directors. |
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVES
| 154. | Subject to the Companies Act, these Articles, and the special rights attaching to Shares of any class, the Directors may, in their absolute discretion, declare dividends and distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the dividends or distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. No dividend or distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits of the Company, or out of the Share Premium Account, or as otherwise permitted by the Companies Act. |
| 155. | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to Shares, or as otherwise determined by the Directors, all dividends and distributions in respect of Shares shall be declared and paid according to the par value of the Shares that a Shareholder holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend or distribution as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for dividend or distribution accordingly. |
| 156. | The Directors may deduct and withhold from any dividend or distribution otherwise payable to any Shareholder all sums of money (if any) then payable by the Shareholder to the Company on account of calls or otherwise or any monies which the Company is obliged by law to pay to any taxing or other authority. |
| 157. | The Directors may declare that any dividend or distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular of shares, debentures or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and, where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Shareholder upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Shareholders and may vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Directors. |
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| 158. | Any dividend, distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall (unless the Directors in their sole discretion otherwise determine) be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders. |
| 159. | Any dividend or distribution which cannot be paid to a Shareholder and/or which remains unclaimed after six (6) months from the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Company’s name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that account and the dividend or distribution shall remain as a debt due to the Shareholder. Any dividend or distribution which remains unclaimed after a period of six (6) years from the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. |
| 160. | No dividend or distribution shall bear interest against the Company. |
SHARE PREMIUM ACCOUNT
| 161. | The Directors shall establish an account on the books and records of the Company to be called the Share Premium Account and shall carry to the credit of such account from time to time a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any Share. |
ACCOUNTS
| 162. | The Directors shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company. Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions. |
| 163. | The books of account shall be kept at the Registered Office or at such other place as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to inspection by the Directors. |
| 164. | The Board of Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what time and places and under what conditions or articles the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Shareholders not being Directors, and no Shareholder (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspection of any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorised by the Board of Directors. |
AUDIT
| 165. | The accounts relating to the Company’s affairs shall be audited in such manner as may be determined from time to time by resolution of the Shareholders or failing any such determination, by the Board of Directors, or failing any determination as aforesaid, shall not be audited. |
| 166. | Without prejudice to the freedom of the Directors to establish any other committee, if any of the Shares are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, and if required by the Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall establish and maintain an audit committee (the Audit Committee) as a committee of the Board of Directors and shall adopt a formal written audit committee charter and review and assess the adequacy of the formal written charter on an annual basis. The composition and responsibilities of the Audit Committee shall comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Designated Stock Exchange. The Audit Committee shall meet at least once every financial quarter, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. |
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| 167. | If any of the Shares are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company shall conduct an appropriate review of all related party transactions on an ongoing basis and shall utilise the Audit Committee for the review and approval of potential conflicts of interest. |
| 168. | The remuneration of the Auditor shall be fixed by the Audit Committee, if one exists, and otherwise by the Board of Directors. |
| 169. | Any payment made to members of the Audit Committee (if one exists) shall require the review and approval of the Directors, with any Director interested in such payment abstaining from such review and approval. |
| 170. | The Audit Committee shall monitor compliance with the terms of the IPO and, if any non-compliance is identified, the Audit Committee shall be charged with the responsibility to take all action necessary to rectify such non-compliance or otherwise cause compliance with the terms of the IPO. |
NOTICES
| 171. | Except as otherwise provided in these Articles and subject to the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, any notice or document may be served by the Company to any Shareholder either personally, or by posting it by airmail or by courier service in a prepaid letter addressed to such Shareholder at his or her address as appearing in the Register of Members, or by electronic mail to any electronic mail address such Shareholder may have specified in writing for the purpose of such service of notices, or by facsimile to any facsimile number such Shareholder may have specified in writing for the purpose of such service of notices, or by placing it on the Company’s Website should the Board of Directors deem it appropriate. |
| 172. | Any notice or document, if served by: |
| (a) | post, shall be deemed to have been served three (3) days (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) after the time when the letter containing the same is posted; | |
| (b) | facsimile, shall be deemed to have been served upon production by the transmitting facsimile machine of a report confirming transmission of the facsimile in full to the facsimile number of the recipient; | |
| (c) | courier service, shall be deemed to have been served three (3) days (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier service; | |
| (d) | electronic mail, shall be deemed to have been served immediately upon the time of the transmission by electronic mail; or | |
| (e) | placing it on the Company’s Website, shall be deemed to have been served immediately upon the time when the same is placed on the Company’s Website. |
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In proving service by post or courier service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the notice or documents was properly addressed and duly posted or delivered to the courier service.
| 173. | In the case of joint holders of a Share, all notices shall be given to that one of the joint holders whose name stands first in the Register of Members in respect of the joint holding, and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders. |
| 174. | Any Shareholder present, either personally or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company shall for all purposes be deemed to have received due notice of such meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which such meeting was convened. |
| 175. | Any summons, notice, order or other document required to be sent to or served upon the Company, or upon any officer of the Company may be sent or served by leaving the same or sending it through the post in a prepaid letter envelope or wrapper, addressed to the Company or to such officer at the Registered Office. |
| 176. | Any notice or document delivered or sent by post to or left at the registered address of any Shareholder in pursuance of these Articles shall notwithstanding that such Shareholder be then dead, insane, bankrupt or dissolved, and whether or not the Company has notice of such death, insanity, bankruptcy or dissolution, be deemed to have been duly served in respect of any Share registered in the name of such Shareholder as sole or joint holder, unless the Shareholder’s name shall at the time of the service of the notice or document, have been removed from the Register of Members as the holder of the Share, and such service shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service of such notice or document on all persons interested (whether jointly with or as claiming through or under such Shareholder) in the Share. |
WINDING UP AND FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS
| 177. | If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in satisfaction of creditors’ claims in such manner and order as such liquidator thinks fit. |
| 178. | If the Company shall be wound up, and the assets available for distribution amongst the Shareholders shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Shareholders in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them. If in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the Shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Shareholders in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise. This Article is without prejudice to the rights of the holders of Shares issued upon special terms and conditions. |
| 179. | If the Company shall be wound up (whether the liquidation is voluntary, under supervision or by the Court) the liquidator may, with the authority of a Special Resolution, divide among the Shareholders in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company, and whether or not the assets shall consist of property of a single kind, and may for such purposes set such value as the liquidator deems fair upon any one or more class or classes of property, and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Shareholders. The liquidator may, with the like authority, vest any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of Shareholders as the liquidator, with the like authority, shall think fit, and the liquidation of the Company may be closed and the Company dissolved, but so that no Shareholder shall be compelled to accept any Shares in respect of which there is liability. |
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INDEMNITY
| 180. | Every Director or officer of the Company shall to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability incurred by that Director or officer as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out their functions other than such liability (if any) that the Director or officer may incur by their own actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect. No such Director or officer shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage in carrying out their functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect of such Director or officer. References in this Article to actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect mean a finding to such effect by a court of competent jurisdiction in relation to the conduct of the relevant person. Expenses, including legal fees, incurred by a Director or officer of the Company, or former Director or officer of the Company, in defending any legal, administrative or investigative proceedings may be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such proceedings upon receipt of an undertaking by such party to repay the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company and upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Company deems appropriate. |
| 181. | The Directors shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any person who is or was a Director or officer of the Company indemnifying them against any liability which may lawfully be insured against by the Company. |
DISCLOSURE
| 182. | Any Director, officer or authorised agent of the Company shall, if lawfully required to do so under the laws of any jurisdiction to which the Company is subject or in compliance with the rules of any Designated Stock Exchange upon which the Company’s shares are listed or in accordance with any contract entered into by the Company, be entitled to release or disclose any information in their possession regarding the affairs of the Company including, without limitation, any information contained in the Register of Members. |
BUSINESS COMBINATION
| 183. | Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, Articles 183 to 195 (the Business Combination Provisions) shall apply during the period commencing upon the adoption of these Articles and terminating upon the first to occur of the consummation of any Business Combination and the distribution of the Trust Account pursuant to these Articles. In the event of a conflict between the Business Combination Provisions and any other provision of these Articles, the Business Combination Provisions shall prevail. |
| 184. | Prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, the Company shall either: |
| (a) | submit such Business Combination to the Shareholders for approval; or | |
| (b) | provide Shareholders with the opportunity to have their Shares repurchased by means of a tender offer for a per-Share repurchase price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, calculated as of two (2) business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay tax obligations, if any, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue. |
| 185. | If the Company initiates any tender offer in accordance with Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the US Exchange Act in connection with a Business Combination, it shall file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing such Business Combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about such Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the US Exchange Act. If, alternatively, the Company holds a Shareholder vote to approve a proposed Business Combination, the Company will conduct any redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the US Exchange Act, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and file proxy materials with the SEC. |
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| 186. | Any proposed Business Combination shall be subject to approval by a majority of the Board of Directors and a majority of the Independent Directors, prior to its submission to the Shareholders for approval. The Board of Directors and the Independent Directors must thoroughly review and evaluate the terms of the proposed Business Combination to ensure it is in the best interest of the Company and its Shareholders. |
| 187. | At a general meeting called for the purposes of approving a Business Combination pursuant to these Articles, in the event that such Business Combination is approved by Ordinary Resolution, the Company shall be authorised to consummate the Business Combination. |
| 188. | Any Shareholder holding Public Shares may, contemporaneously with any vote on a Business Combination, elect to have their Public Shares redeemed for cash (IPO Redemption), provided that no such Shareholder acting together with any Affiliate or any other person with whom such Shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under section 13 of the US Exchange Act) may exercise this redemption right with respect to more than an aggregate of fifteen per cent (15%) of the Public Shares without the prior consent of the Company, and provided further that any Shareholder that holds Public Shares beneficially through a nominee must identify itself to the Company in connection with any redemption election in order to validly redeem such Public Shares. In connection with any vote held to approve a proposed Business Combination, holders of Public Shares seeking to exercise their redemption rights will be required to either tender their certificates (if any) to the Company’s transfer agent 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, in each case up to two (2) business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve a Business Combination (the Election Deadline). Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Board of Directors may, at any time and either before or after the initially scheduled vote on a Business Combination, in its sole discretion extend the Election Deadline to a later date and may extend an Election Deadline which has already been extended. If so demanded, the Company shall pay any such redeeming Shareholder, regardless of whether such Shareholder is voting for or against such proposed Business Combination, a per-Share redemption price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two (2) business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay tax obligations, if any, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue (such redemption price being referred to herein as the Redemption Price). |
| 189. | The Redemption Price shall be paid promptly following the consummation of the relevant Business Combination. If the proposed Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason then such redemptions shall be cancelled and share certificates (if any) returned to the relevant Shareholders as appropriate. |
| 190. | In the event that: |
| (a) | either (i) the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within the Completion Window or (ii) a resolution of the Shareholders is passed pursuant to the Companies Act to commence the voluntary liquidation of the Company prior to the consummation of a Business Combination for any reason, the Company shall: |
| (i) | cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; |
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| (ii) | as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds, redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares, at a per-Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay the Company’s taxes, if any, (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue, which redemption will completely extinguish public Shareholders’ rights as Shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to Applicable Law; and | |
| (iii) | as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining Shareholders and the Directors, liquidate and dissolve, |
subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the requirements of other Applicable Law; and
| (b) | any amendment to these Articles is made (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with an initial Business Combination or the Company’s obligation to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions of these Articles relating to Shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, each holder of Public Shares shall be provided with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon the 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 Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay tax obligations, if any, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue. Any amounts due in connection with a redemption under this Article 190(b) shall be paid promptly following the relevant amendment. If the proposed amendment is not approved or completed for any reason then such redemptions shall be cancelled and share certificates (if any) returned to the relevant Shareholders as appropriate. |
| 191. | Except for the withdrawal of interest to pay tax obligations, if any, none of the funds held in the Trust Account shall be released from the Trust Account until the earlier of the completion of a Business Combination, an IPO Redemption pursuant to Article 188, a repurchase of Shares by means of a tender offer pursuant to Article 184(b), a distribution of the Trust Account pursuant to Article 190(a) or a redemption of Shares in connection with an amendment under Article 190(b). In no other circumstance shall a holder of Public Shares have any right or interest of any kind in the Trust Account. |
| 192. | After the issue of Public Shares, and prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, except in connection with a Class B Share Conversion where the holders of such Shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the Trust Account, the Directors shall not issue additional Shares or any other securities that would entitle the holders thereof to: |
| (a) | receive funds from the Trust Account; or | |
| (b) | vote as a class with the Public Shares on any Business Combination. |
| 193. | As long as the Company’s Shares or other securities are listed on the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least eighty per cent (80%) of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the Company signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Business Combination. An initial Business Combination must not be effectuated solely with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
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| 194. | A Director may vote in respect of any Business Combination in which the Director has a conflict of interest with respect to the evaluation of such Business Combination, provided that the Director must disclose such interest or conflict to the other Directors. |
| 195. | The Company may enter into a Business Combination with a target business that is Affiliated with the Sponsor (including its members) or the Directors or officers of the Company if such transaction is approved by a majority of the Independent Directors and the Directors that did not have an interest in such transaction. In the event the Company seeks to complete a Business Combination either (a) with a target business that is Affiliated with the Sponsor (including any of its members) or any Director and/or officer of the Company, or (b) where the Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of such target business, the Company, or a committee of Independent Directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that the Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. |
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
| 196. | To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, none of the Sponsor or any individual serving as Director or officer of the Company (Management) 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 the Company. |
| 197. | To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for Management, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a member of Management to any other entity. |
| 198. | To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, Management shall have no duty to communicate or offer any such corporate opportunity to the Company and shall not be liable to the Company or the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary duty as a Shareholder, Director and/or officer of the Company solely by reason of the fact that such party pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, himself or herself, directs such corporate opportunity to another person, or does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Company. |
| 199. | To the extent a court might hold that the conduct of any activity related to a corporate opportunity that is renounced in these Articles to be a breach of duty to the Company or its Shareholders, the Company and (if applicable) each Shareholder hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, any and all claims and causes of action that the Company or such Shareholder may have for such activities described in these Articles. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the provisions of these Articles apply equally to activities conducted in the future and that have been conducted in the past. |
CLOSING REGISTER OF MEMBERS OR FIXING RECORD DATE
| 200. | For the purpose of determining Shareholders entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or Shareholders entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Shareholders for any other purpose, the Directors may, by any means in accordance with the requirements of any Designated Stock Exchange, provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not in any case exceed forty (40) days. |
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| 201. | In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance or arrears a date as the record date for any such determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of the Shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or for the purpose of determining the Shareholders entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Shareholders for any other purpose. |
| 202. | If no record date is fixed for the determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders or Shareholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date on which notice of the meeting is mailed or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Shareholders. When a determination of Shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting has been made in the manner provided in the preceding Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof. |
REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION
| 203. | The Company may by Special Resolution resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing. The Directors may cause an application to be made to the Registrar of Companies to deregister the Company in the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing and may cause all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company. |
| 204. | Prior to the closing of a Business Combination, only the Class B Shares shall carry the right to vote on any resolution of the Shareholders to approve any transfer by way of continuation pursuant to the preceding Article (including any Special Resolution required to amend the constitutional documents of the Company or to adopt new constitutional documents of the Company, in each case, as a result of the Company approving a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). |
FINANCIAL YEAR
| 205. | The Directors shall determine the financial year of the Company and may change the same from time to time. Unless they determine otherwise, the financial year shall end on 31 December in each year. |
AMENDMENTS TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
| 206. | Subject to these Articles, the Company may from time to time alter or add to these Articles or alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein by passing a Special Resolution. |
CAYMAN ISLANDS DATA PROTECTION
| 207. | The Company is a “data controller” for the purposes of the Data Protection Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the DPA). By virtue of subscribing for and holding Shares in the Company, Shareholders provide the Company with certain information (Personal Data) that constitutes “personal data” under the DPA. Personal Data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a Shareholder and/or any natural person(s) connected with a Shareholder (such as a Shareholder’s individual directors, members and/or beneficial owner(s)): name, residential address, email address, corporate contact information, other contact information, date of birth, place of birth, passport or other national identifier details, national insurance or social security number, tax identification, bank account details and information regarding assets, income, employment and source of funds. |
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| 208. | The Company processes such Personal Data for the purposes of: |
| (a) | performing contractual rights and obligations (including under the Memorandum and these Articles); | |
| (b) | complying with legal or regulatory obligations (including those relating to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, preventing and detecting fraud, sanctions, automatic exchange of tax information, requests from governmental, regulatory, tax and law enforcement authorities, beneficial ownership and the maintenance of statutory registers); and | |
| (c) | the legitimate interests pursued by the Company or third parties to whom Personal Data may be transferred, including to manage and administer the Company, to send updates, information and notices to Shareholders or otherwise correspond with Shareholders regarding the Company, to seek professional advice (including legal advice), to meet accounting, tax reporting and audit obligations, to manage risk and operations and to maintain internal records. |
| 209. | The Company transfers Personal Data to certain third parties who process the Personal Data on the Company’s behalf, including third party service providers that it appoints or engages to assist with its management, operation, administration and legal, governance and regulatory compliance. In certain circumstances, the Company may be required by law or regulation to transfer Personal Data and other information with respect to one or more Shareholders to a governmental, regulatory, tax or law enforcement authority. That authority may, in turn, exchange this information with another governmental, regulatory, tax or law enforcement authority established in or outside the Cayman Islands. |
EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND FORUM
| 210. | Unless the Company consents 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 the Memorandum, these Articles or otherwise related in any way to each Shareholder’s shareholding in the Company, including but not limited to: |
| (a) | any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; | |
| (b) | any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any current or former Director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Shareholders; | |
| (c) | any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act, the Memorandum or these Articles; or | |
| (d) | any action asserting a claim against the Company governed by the “internal affairs doctrine” (as such concept is recognised under the laws of the United States of America). |
| 211. | Each Shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. |
| 212. | Without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that the Company may have, each Shareholder 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 the Company 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. |
| 213. | Articles 210 and 211 shall not apply to any action or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the US 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. |
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Exhibit 4.1
NUMBER U- |
UNITS |
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
CUSIP [_] |
ARC
GROUP SECURITIES
UNITS
CONSISTING OF ONE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARE AND ONE REDEEMABLE WARRANT AND ONE RIGHT THAT ENTITLES THE HOLDER THEREOF TO RECEIVE ONE-QUARTER
OF ONE
THIS
CERTIFIES THAT
Each
Unit (“Unit”) consists of one (1) Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (“Ordinary
Share”), of the Company, and one redeemable warrant (“Warrant”) and one right that entitles the
holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Ordinary Share
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar of the Company.
This certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
Witness the facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Company.
| Authorized Signatory | |
| Transfer Agent |
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
The
Company will furnish without charge to each unitholder who so requests, a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative,
participating, optional or other special rights of each class of
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT | Custodian | ||||
| (Cust) | (Minor) | |||||||
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||||
| Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | ||||||||
| JT TEN | — | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | ||||||
| (State) | ||||||||
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For value received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
(PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE)
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Units represented by the within certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
| Dated | ||||
| Notice: | The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. | |||
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
| THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)). |
| 2 |
| 3 |
Exhibit 4.2
[Form of Class A Ordinary Share Certificate]
| NUMBER | NUMBER C-SHARES |
| SEE
REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
CUSIP [_] |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES
This Certifies that ____________________ is the owner of ________________________
FULLY
PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES OF PAR VALUE
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
(THE “COMPANY”)
This
certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar
Witness
the facsimile signatures of the Company’s duly authorized
| Cayman Islands | Chief Executive Officer | |||
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
The
Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions
of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the shares represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the
provisions of the Memorandum and Articles and resolutions of the
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT | — | Custodian | |||
| (Cust) | (Minor) | |||||||
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||||
| under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | ||||||||
| JT TEN | — | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | ||||||
| (State) | ||||||||
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For value received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Shares represented by the within Certificate, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints
Attorney
to transfer the said shares on the
| Dated: | ||||
| NOTICE: | THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER. | |||
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
| By | |
| THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO RULE 17Ad-15 (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED). | |
| 2 |
| 3 |
Exhibit 4.4
WARRANT AGREEMENT
THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [_], 2026, is by and between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Efficiency INC., a Delaware corporation, as warrant agent (in such capacity, the “Warrant Agent,” and also referred to herein as the “Transfer Agent”).
WHEREAS,
the Company is engaged in an initial public offering (the “Offering”) of units of the Company’s equity
securities, each such unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Shares”),
one right to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A Share (the
WHEREAS,
the Company entered into that certain Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement with FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company
(the “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private placement
units (whether or not the Over-allotment Option is exercised) simultaneously with the closing of the Offering (the “Private
Placement Units”) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, and in connection therewith, the issuance of
140,000 warrants (whether or not the Over-allotment Option is exercised) underlying the Private Placement Units (the “Private
Placement Warrants”)
WHEREAS, the Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”);
WHEREAS,
in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination, the Sponsor or
an affiliate of the Sponsor or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan to the Company funds as
the Company may require, of which up to
WHEREAS, each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein;
WHEREAS,
the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement
on Form S-1, File No. 333-291302 (the “Registration Statement”), and a prospectus (the “Prospectus”),
for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Units, the
Public
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of the Warrants;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
| 1. | Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. |
| 2. | Warrants. |
| 2.1. | Form
of Warrant. Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only, and, if a physical certificate is issued, shall be in substantially
the form of Exhibit B hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile
signature of, the Chairperson of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), President, Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other |
| 2.2. | Effect of Countersignature. If a physical certificate is issued, unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant certificate shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof. |
| 2.3. | Registration. |
| 2.3.1. | Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the “Warrant Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company. All of the Public Warrants shall initially be represented by one or more Book-Entry Warrant Certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Public Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (each such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a “Participant”). |
If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Public Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding making other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Public Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Public Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to the Depositary definitive certificates in physical form evidencing such Warrants (“Definitive Warrant Certificate”). Such Definitive Warrant Certificate shall be in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit B, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as provided above.
| 2.3.2. | Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant is registered in the Warrant Register (the “Registered Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on a Definitive Warrant Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. |
| 2.4. | Detachability
of Warrants. The Class A |
| 2.5. | No Fractional Warrants Other Than as Part of Units. The Company shall not issue fractional Warrants. If, upon the detachment of Public Warrants from the Units or otherwise, a holder of Warrants would be entitled to receive a fractional Warrant, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number the number of Warrants to be issued to such holder. |
| 2.6. | Private
Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants. The Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants shall be identical
to the Public Warrants, except |
| 2.6.1. | to
the Company’s officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of the Company’s officers or directors, any
members or partners of the Sponsor or their |
| 2.6.2. | in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; |
| 2.6.3. | in the case of an individual, by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; |
| 2.6.4. | in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; |
| 2.6.5. | by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement, in connection with an extension of the timeframe for the Company to consummate a Business Combination or in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the Warrants were originally purchased; |
| 2.6.6 | by
pro rata distributions from the Sponsor to its |
| 2.6.7. | by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or the limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor upon dissolution of the Sponsor; |
| 2.6.8. | in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to the consummation of a Business Combination; |
| 2.6.9. | to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses 2.6.1 through 2.6.7 above; | |
| 2.6.10 | to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination; and |
| 2.6.11. | in the event that, subsequent to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of its shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A Shares for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that, in the case of clauses 2.6.1 through 2.6.7, and 2.6.9 these transferees (the “Permitted Transferees”) enter into a written agreement with the Company agreeing to be bound by the transfer restrictions in this Agreement and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company, the Sponsor, and the Company’s officers and directors. |
| 2.7. | Working Capital Warrants. Each of the Working Capital Warrants shall be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. |
| 3. | Terms and Exercise of Warrants. |
| 3.1. | Warrant
Price. Each Warrant shall entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Warrant and of this Agreement,
including without limitation, subsection 3.3.5, to purchase from the Company the number of Class A Shares stated therein,
at the price of $11.50 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this
Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Agreement shall mean the price per share (including in cash
or by payment of Warrants pursuant to a “cashless exercise,” to the extent permitted hereunder) described in the prior
sentence at which the Class A Shares may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised. The Company in its sole discretion may
lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) for a period of not less than twenty (20) Business
Days (unless otherwise required by the Commission, any national securities exchange on which the Warrants are listed or applicable
law), provided, that the Company shall provide at least three (3) days’ prior written notice of such reduction to Registered
Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such reduction shall be identical among all of the Warrants |
| 3.2. | Duration of Warrants. A Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the “Exercise Period”) (A) commencing on the date that is thirty (30) days after the first date on which the Company completes a Business Combination, and terminating on the earliest to occur of: (x) 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company completes its initial Business Combination, (y) the liquidation of the Company, and (z) with respect to a redemption pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof, 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the Redemption Date (as defined below) as provided in Section 6.2 hereof (the “Expiration Date”); provided, however, that the exercise of any Warrant shall be subject to the satisfaction of any applicable conditions, as set forth in subsection 3.3.2 below, with respect to an effective registration statement or a valid exemption therefrom being available. Each outstanding Warrant not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date; provided, that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of any such extension to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such extension shall be identical in duration among all the Warrants. |
| 3.3. | Exercise of Warrants. |
| 3.3.1. | Payment. Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Agreement, including without limitation, subsection 3.3.5, a Warrant may be exercised by the Registered Holder thereof by delivering to the Warrant Agent at its corporate trust department (i) the Definitive Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants to be exercised, or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, the Warrants to be exercised on the records of the Depositary to an account of the Warrant Agent at the Depositary designated for such purposes in writing by the Warrant Agent to the Depositary from time to time, (ii) an election to purchase (“Election to Purchase”) Class A Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant, properly completed and executed by the Registered Holder on the reverse of the Definitive Warrant Certificate or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, properly delivered by the Participant in accordance with the Depositary’s procedures, and (iii) payment in full of the Warrant Price for each Class A Share as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, the exchange of the Warrant for the Class A Shares and the issuance of such Class A Shares, as follows: |
| (a) | in lawful money of the United States, in good bank draft or good certified check payable to the order of the Warrant Agent or by wire transfer of immediately available funds; |
| (b) | in the event of a redemption pursuant to Section 6 hereof in which the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) has elected to require all holders of the Warrants to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by surrendering the Warrants for that number of Class A Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value”, as defined in this subsection 3.3.1(b), over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 3.3.1(b) and Section 6.3, the “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A Shares for the ten (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 the Warrants, pursuant to Section 6 hereof; or |
| (c) | on a cashless basis as provided in Section 7.4 hereof. |
| 3.3.2. | Issuance of Class A Shares on Exercise. As soon as practicable after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (if payment is pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(a)), the Company shall issue to the Registered Holder of such Warrant a book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for the number of Class A Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new book-entry position or countersigned Warrant, as applicable, for the number of Class A Shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised. If fewer than all the Warrants evidenced by a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate are exercised, a notation shall be made to the records maintained by the Depositary, its nominee for each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, or a Participant, as appropriate, evidencing the balance of the Warrants remaining after such exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be obligated to deliver any Class A Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and shall have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A Shares underlying the Public Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company’s satisfying its obligations under Section 7.4 or a valid exemption from registration is available. No Warrant shall be exercisable and the Company shall not be obligated to issue Class A Shares upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Class A Shares issuable upon such Warrant exercise have been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt from registration or qualification under the securities laws of the state of residence of the Registered Holder of the Warrants. 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 shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise. The Company may require holders of Public Warrants to settle the Warrant on a “cashless basis” pursuant to Section 7.4. If, by reason of any exercise of Warrants on a “cashless basis,” the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a Class A Share, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number, the number of Class A Shares to be issued to such holder. |
| 3.3.3. | Valid Issuance. All Class A Shares issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 3.3.4. | Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for Class A Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Class A Shares on the date on which the Warrant, or book-entry position representing such Warrant, was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate in the case of a certificated Warrant, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company or book-entry system of the Warrant Agent are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such Class A Shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books or book-entry system are open. |
| 3.3.5. | Maximum Percentage. A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5; however, no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless he, she or it makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall 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 affiliate is a member, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify)(the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of Class A Shares beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which such person and its affiliates is a member, shall include the number of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude Class A Shares that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which any such person or its affiliates is a member, and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which such person or its affiliates is a member (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred shares or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable regulations of the Commission. For purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and applicable regulations of the Commission, and the percentage held by the holder shall be determined in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. To the extent that a holder makes the election described in this subsection 3.3.5, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant unless it provides to the Warrant Agent in its Election to Purchase, a certification that, upon after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which such holder or its affiliates is a member, would not beneficially own in excess of the Maximum Percentage of the Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise as determined in accordance with this subsection 3.3.5. For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding Class A Shares, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding Class A Shares as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Commission as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Class A Shares outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of Class A Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Class A Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding Class A Shares was reported. By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided, however, that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company. |
| 4. | Adjustments. |
| 4.1. | Share Capitalizations. |
| 4.1.1. | Sub-division. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 below, the number of outstanding Class A Shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A Shares, or by a sub-division of Class A Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Class A Shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of the Class A Shares entitling holders to purchase Class A Shares at a price less than the “Historical Fair Market Value” (as defined below) shall be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A 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 Class A Shares) and (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A Share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the Historical Fair Market Value. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.1, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A Shares, in determining the price payable for Class A Shares, there shall be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “Historical Fair Market Value” means the volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights. No Class A Shares shall be issued at less than their par value. |
| 4.1.2. | Extraordinary
Dividends. If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution
in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all of the holders of Class A Shares on account of such Class A Shares
(or other shares of the Company’s share capital into which the Warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described in subsection
4.1.1 above, (b) Ordinary Cash Dividends (as defined below), (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A Shares
in connection with a proposed initial Business Combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A Shares
in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as
amended |
| 4.2. | Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 hereof, the number of outstanding Class A Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of Class A Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A Shares. |
| 4.3. | Adjustments in Warrant Price. |
| 4.3.1. | Whenever the number of Class A Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in subsection 4.1.1 or Section 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which shall be the number of Class A Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of Class A Shares so purchasable immediately thereafter. |
| 4.3.2. | If (x) the Company issues additional Class A Shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A Share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Board and, in the case of any such issuance to the initial shareholders (as defined in the Prospectus) or their affiliates, without taking into account any Class B Ordinary Shares (as defined below) held by such shareholders or their 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 funding the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A Shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described in Section 6.1 below shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
| 4.4. | Replacement
of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A Shares |
The provisions of this Section 4.4 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. In no event will the Warrant Price be reduced to less than the par value per share issuable upon exercise of the Warrant.
| 4.5. | Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of Class A Shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 or 4.4, the Company shall give written notice of the occurrence of such event to each holder of a Warrant, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event. |
| 4.6. | No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional Class A Shares upon the exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A Shares to be issued to such holder. |
| 4.7. | Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of Class A Shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed. |
| 4.8. | Other Events. In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of the preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4, then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if they determine that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion. For the avoidance of doubt, all adjustments made pursuant to this Section 4.8 shall be made equally to all outstanding Warrants. |
| 4.9. | No
Adjustment. For the avoidance of doubt, no adjustment shall be made to the terms of the Warrants solely as a result of an adjustment
to the conversion ratio of the Company’s Class B ordinary |
| 5. | Transfer and Exchange of Warrants. |
| 5.1. | Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, in the case of a certificated Warrant, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. In the case of certificated Warrants, the Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request. |
| 5.2. | Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the Registered Holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that except as otherwise provided herein or in any Book-Entry Warrant Certificate or Definitive Warrant Certificate, each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate and Definitive Warrant Certificate may be transferred only in whole and only to the Depositary, to another nominee of the Depositary, to a successor depository, or to a nominee of a successor depository; provided further, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend (as in the case of the Private Placement Warrants and the Working Capital Warrants), the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange thereof until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend. |
| 5.3. | Fractional
Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which shall result in the
issuance of a |
| 5.4. | Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants. |
| 5.5. | Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, shall supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose. |
| 5.6. | Transfer of Warrants. Prior to the Detachment Date, the Public Warrants may be transferred or exchanged only together with the Unit in which such Warrant is included, and only for the purpose of effecting, or in conjunction with, a transfer or exchange of such Unit. Furthermore, each transfer of a Unit on the register relating to such Units shall operate also to transfer the Warrants included in such Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Section 5.6 shall have no effect on any transfer of Warrants on and after the Detachment Date. |
| 6. | Redemption. |
| 6.1. | Redemption of Warrants for Cash. All, but not less than all, of the outstanding Warrants may be redeemed (in whole and not in part), at the option of the Company, at any time during the Exercise Period, at the office of the Warrant Agent, upon notice to the Registered Holders of the Warrants, as described in Section 6.2 below, at a Redemption Price (as defined below) of $0.01 per Warrant; provided that (a) the Reference Value equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (subject to adjustment in compliance with Section 4 hereof) and (b) there is an effective registration statement covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, available throughout the Measurement Period and the 30-day Redemption Period (each as defined in Section 6.2 below). |
| 6.2. | Date Fixed for, and Notice of, Redemption; Redemption Price; Reference Value. In the event that the Company elects to redeem the Warrants pursuant to Section 6.1, the Company shall fix a date for the redemption (the “Redemption Date”). Notice of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Redemption Date (such period, the “Redemption Period”) to the Registered Holders of the Warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they shall appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the Registered Holder received such notice. As used in this Agreement, (a) “Redemption Price” shall mean the price per Warrant at which any Warrants are redeemed pursuant to Sections 6.1 and (b) “Reference Value” shall mean the last reported sales price of the Class A Shares for any twenty (20) trading days within the thirty (30) trading-day period commencing at least 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of the redemption is given (the “Measurement Period”). |
| 6.3. | Exercise After Notice of Redemption. The Warrants may be exercised, for cash (or on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement) at any time after notice of redemption shall have been given by the Company pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and prior to the Redemption Date. In the event the Company determines to require all holders of Warrants to exercise their Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(b), the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A Shares to be received upon exercise of the Warrants, including the “Fair Market Value” (as such term is defined in subsection 3.3.1(b) hereof) in such case. On and after the Redemption Date, the record holder of the Warrants shall have no further rights except to receive, upon surrender of the Warrants, the Redemption Price. |
| 7. | Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants. |
| 7.1. | No
Rights as Shareholder. A Warrant does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the
Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to
vote or to |
| 7.2. | Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone. |
| 7.3. | Reservation of Class A Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Class A Shares that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement. |
| 7.4. | Registration of Class A Shares; Cashless Exercise at Company’s Option. |
| 7.4.1. | Registration of the Class A Shares. The Company agrees that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) Business Days after the closing of its initial Business Combination, it shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, or a new registration statement registering, under the Securities Act, the issuance of the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such post-effective amendment or registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. If any such post-effective or registration statement has not been declared effective by the sixtieth (60th) Business Day following the closing of the initial Business Combination, holders of the Warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the sixty-first (61st) Business Day after the closing of the initial Business Combination and ending upon such post-effective amendment or registration statement being declared effective by the Commission, and during any other period when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by exchanging the Warrants (in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule) or another exemption) for that number of Class A Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value” (as defined below) over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 7.4.1, “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the third (3rd) trading day prior to the date that notice of exercise is received by the Warrant Agent from the holder of such Warrants or its securities broker or intermediary. The date that notice of “cashless exercise” is received by the Warrant Agent shall be conclusively determined by the Warrant Agent. In connection with the “cashless exercise” of a Public Warrant, the Company shall, upon request, provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the exercise of the Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with this subsection 7.4.1 is not required to be registered under the Securities Act and (ii) the Class A Shares issued upon such exercise shall be freely tradable under United States federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule)) of the Company and, accordingly, shall not be required to bear a restrictive legend. Except as provided in subsection 7.4.2, for the avoidance of any doubt, unless and until all of the Warrants have been exercised or have expired, the Company shall continue to be obligated to comply with its registration obligations under the first three sentences of this subsection 7.4.1. |
| 7.4.2. | Cashless Exercise at Company’s Option. If the Class A Shares are at the time of any exercise of a Warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule), the Company may, at its option, require holders of Warrants who exercise their Warrants to exercise such Public Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule) as described in subsection 7.4.1 and (i) in the event the Company so elects, the Company shall not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary or (ii) if the Company does not so file or maintain such registration statement, the Company agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify for sale the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants under the applicable blue sky laws of the state of residence of the exercising Public Warrant holder to the extent an exemption is not available. |
| 8. | Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters. |
| 8.1. | Payment of Taxes. The Company shall from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Class A Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such Class A Shares. |
| 8.2. | Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent. |
| 8.2.1. | Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of a Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation or other entity organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations. |
| 8.2.2. | Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the Transfer Agent for the Class A Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment. |
| 8.2.3. | Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any entity into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any entity resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act. |
| 8.3. | Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent. |
| 8.3.1. | Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and shall, pursuant to its obligations under this Agreement, reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder. |
| 8.3.2. | Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement. |
| 8.4. | Liability of Warrant Agent. |
| 8.4.1. | Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary or Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. |
| 8.4.2. | Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, out of pocket costs and reasonable outside counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud or bad faith. |
| 8.4.3. | Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof). The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Class A Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any Class A Shares shall, when issued, be valid and fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 8.5. | Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all monies received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of Class A Shares through the exercise of the Warrants. |
| 8.6. | Waiver.
The Warrant Agent has no right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”)
in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the
date hereof, by and between the Company and the Warrant Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek |
| 9. | Miscellaneous Provisions. |
| 9.1. | Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns. |
| 9.2. | Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows: |
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398
Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Attention: Ian Hanna, Chief Executive Officer
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:
Efficiency INC.
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, California 94025
ATTN: Operations
Email: [***]
in each case, with copies to:
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
Attn: Lawrence Metelitsa, Esq.
Email: lmetelitsa@lucbro.com
ARC Group Securities LLC
10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001
New York, New York 10022
Attn: [*]
Email: [*]
and
Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC
950 Third Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Attn: Sally Yin, Esq.
Email:
| 9.3. | Applicable
Law and Exclusive Forum. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed
in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the
application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against
it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement, including under the Securities Act, shall 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 irrevocably submits
to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. The Company hereby
waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or
any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person
or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in the Warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented
to the forum provisions in this Section 9.3. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions
above, is filed in a court other than a court located within 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 |
| 9.4. | Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person, corporation or other entity other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Warrants any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Warrants. |
| 9.5. | Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the City of San Francisco and State of California, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit such holder’s Warrant for inspection by the Warrant Agent. |
| 9.6. | Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. |
| 9.7. | Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof. |
| 9.8. | Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder (i) for the purpose of (x) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision contained herein, including to conform the provisions hereof to the description of the terms of the Warrants and this Agreement set forth in the Prospectus, (y) adjusting the definition of “Ordinary Cash Dividend” as contemplated by and in accordance with the second sentence of subsection 4.1.2 or (z) adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders, and (ii) to provide for the delivery of an Alternative Issuance pursuant to Section 4.4. All other modifications or amendments, including any modification or amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period shall require the vote or written consent of the Registered Holders of 50% of the number of the then outstanding Public Warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Placement Warrants or Working Capital Warrants or any provision of this Agreement with respect to the Private Placement Warrants, or Working Capital Warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any Private Placement Warrants or Working Capital Warrants), 50% of the number of then outstanding Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the Registered Holders. |
| 9.9. | Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable. |
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| EFFICIENCY INC., as Warrant Agent | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
EXHIBIT A
PRIVATE PLACEMENT WARRANTS LEGEND
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENTS BY AND AMONG ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I (THE “COMPANY”), FDB I AND THE OTHER SIGNATORIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS
WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR IN THE
WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
CUSIP [_]
Warrant Certificate
This
Warrant Certificate certifies that
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $11.50 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject
to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent
not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void. The Warrants may be redeemed, subject to certain conditions,
as set forth in the Warrant Agreement. In addition, and notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement,
to the extent that the holder of a Warrant has delivered a notice contemplated by subsection 3.5.5 of the Warrant Agreement, neither
the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall issue
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| EFFICIENCY INC. as Warrant Agent | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement dated as of [_], 2026 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Efficiency INC., a Delaware corporation, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, no Warrant may be exercised unless at the time of exercise (i) a registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares to be issued upon exercise is effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (ii) a prospectus thereunder relating to the Ordinary Shares is current, except through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent, a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive Ordinary Shares and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of, whose address is, and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to, whose address is. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of, ______ whose address is _______ and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to ______, whose address is ________.
In the event that the Warrant has been called for redemption by the Company pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Warrant Agreement and the Company has required “cashless” exercise pursuant to Section 6.3 and Section 3.3.1(b) of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 6.3 and Section 3.3.1(b) of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a “cashless” basis pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive Ordinary Shares. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of, whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to, whose address is.
To be included in any Election to Purchase of a holder who has provided the notice set forth in subsection 3.3.5 of the Warrant Agreement.
By signing this Election to Purchase, the undersigned hereby certifies that upon after giving effect to such exercise, the undersigned (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which holder or its affiliates is a member, would not beneficially own in excess of the Maximum Percentage of the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise as determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.5. of the Warrant Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
| Date: | ||
| (Signature) | ||
| (Address) | ||
| (Tax Identification Number) | ||
| Signature Guaranteed: |
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO SEC RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)). |
Exhibit 4.5
| NUMBER | RIGHTS |
| R ________ |
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
CUSIP ______
THIS CERTIFIES THAT, for value received
_____________is
the registered holder of a right or rights (the “Right” or “Rights,” respectively) to receive one-fourth of one
Class A ordinary share, par value
Upon
Upon due presentment for registration of transfer of the Right Certificate at the office or agency of the Rights Agent a new Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Rights shall be issued to the transferee in exchange for this Right Certificate, without charge except for any applicable tax or other governmental charge.
The Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the registered holder as the absolute owner of this Right Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any conversion hereof, of any distribution to the registered holder, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Holders of a Right or Rights are not entitled to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Dated:
| [Corporate Seal] | Chairman of the Board |
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- | _________ Custodian | ||||
| ____________ | ||||||||
| (Cust) (Minor) | ||||||||
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||||
| under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | ||||||||
| JT TEN | — | as
joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common Act |
_____________________________ (State) |
Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the rights represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Rights Agreement, and all amendments thereto, to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents.
For value received,___________________________ hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Rights
represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________Attorney to transfer the said Rights
on the books of the within named Company
Dated ___________
| Notice: | The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. |
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).
Exhibit 4.6
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of ______, 2026 between Arc Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Efficiency, INC. (the “Rights Agent”).
WHEREAS,
the Company has entered into an agreement with
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-291302, as amended (“Registration Statement”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Act”) of, among other securities, the Units, Public Rights, and the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable to the holders of the Units and Public Rights;
WHEREAS,
WHEREAS, up to $2,500,000 of working capital loans, as described in the Registration Statement, may be converted into up to 250,000 private placement-equivalent units, with each Unit comprised of one Class A Ordinary Share, one Private Warrant and one right to receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A Ordinary Share (the “Working Capital Rights”, together with the Public Rights and the Private Rights, the “Rights”);
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Rights Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Rights Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer and exchange of the Rights;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Rights, the terms upon which they shall be issued, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Rights Agent, and the holders of the Rights; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Rights, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Rights Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Rights, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Rights.
2.1.
Form of Right. Each Right shall be issued in registered form only, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto,
the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairman of the Board
or Chief Executive Officer and
2.2. Effect of Countersignature. Unless and until countersigned by the Rights Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Right shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exchanged for Class A Ordinary Shares.
2.3. Registration.
2.3.1. Right Register. The Rights Agent shall maintain books (“Right Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Rights. Upon the initial issuance of the Rights, the Rights Agent shall issue and register the Rights in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Rights Agent by the Company.
2.3.2. Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Right, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Right shall be registered upon the Right Register (“registered holder”) as the absolute owner of such Right and of each Right represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the Right Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent), for the purpose of the exchange thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.4. Detachability of Rights. The securities comprising the Units, including the Rights, will not be separately transferable until the fifty second (52nd) day after the date hereof unless the Representative informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, but in no event will separate trading of the securities comprising the Units begin until (i) the Company files a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date hereof, and (ii) the Company issues a press release and files a Current Report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin.
3. Terms and Exchange of Rights.
3.1. Rights. Each Right shall entitle the holder thereof to receive one-fourth of one Class A Ordinary Share upon the happening of the Exchange Event (described below). Subject to Section 3.3.1 below with respect to the registered holders of Rights, in the event that the Company is not the surviving entity immediately following the Exchange Event, holders of Rights shall automatically receive the kind and amount of securities or properties of the surviving entity as the holder of each one-fourth of one Class A Ordinary Share is entitled to receive in the Exchange Event. No additional consideration shall be paid by a holder of Rights in order to receive his, her or its Class A Ordinary Shares upon the Exchange Event as the purchase price for such Class A Ordinary Shares has been included in the purchase price for the Units. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Rights or issue fractional Class A Ordinary Shares.
3.2. Exchange Event. The Exchange Event shall be the Company’s consummation of an initial Business Combination (as defined in the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and all amendments thereto).
3.3. Exchange of Rights.
3.3.1. Issuance of Certificates. As soon as practicable upon the occurrence of the Exchange Event, the Company shall direct registered holders of the Rights to return their Rights Certificates to the Rights Agent. Upon receipt of a valid Rights Certificate, the Company shall issue to the registered holder of such Right(s) a certificate or certificates for the number of full Class A Ordinary Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it; provided that in the event that the Company is not the surviving entity following the Exchange Event, the Company shall notify the registered holders of Rights at least two business days prior to the occurrence of the Exchange Event and the registered holders of Rights shall have the right to receive the kind and amount of securities or properties of the surviving entity pursuant to Section 3.3.4 of this Agreement provided that they affirmatively elect to such conversion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, or any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Rights. The Company shall not issue fractional Class A Ordinary Shares upon exchange of Rights. At the time of the Exchange Event, the Company will instruct the Rights Agent to round down to the nearest whole Class A Ordinary Share.
3.3.2. Valid Issuance. All Class A Ordinary Shares issued upon an Exchange Event in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3.3.3. Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any such certificate for Class A Ordinary Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date of the Exchange Event, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate.
3.3.4. Company Not Surviving Following Exchange Event. If the Exchange Event results in the Company is not the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of Rights to receive the same kind and amount of securities or properties of the surviving entity as the holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares will receive in with the Exchange Event, for the number of Class A Ordinary Shares such holder is entitled to pursuant to Section 3.3.1 above.
3.4. Duration of Rights. If the Exchange Event does not occur within the time period as described in the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and all amendments thereto, and such Business Combination has not yet been consummated within the applicable time period, the Rights shall expire and shall be worthless.
4. Transfer and Exchange of Rights.
4.1. Registration of Transfer. The Rights Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Right upon the Right Register, upon surrender of such Right for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Right representing an equal aggregate number of Rights shall be issued and the old Right shall be cancelled by the Rights Agent. The Rights cancelled shall be delivered by the Rights Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
4.2. Procedure for Surrender of Rights. Rights may be surrendered to the Rights Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Rights Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Rights as requested by the registered holder of the Rights so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Rights; provided, however, that in the event that a Right surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Rights Agent shall not cancel such Right and issue new Rights in exchange therefor until the Rights Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Rights must also bear a restrictive legend.
4.3.
Fractional Rights. The Rights Agent will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange or transfer of rights. Fractional
shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with
4.4. Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Rights.
4.5.
Adjustments to Conversion Ratios. The number of Class A Ordinary Shares that the holders of Rights are entitled to receive as
a result of the occurrence of an Exchange Event shall be equitably adjusted to reflect appropriately the effect of any
4.6. Right Execution and Countersignature. The Rights Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Rights required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4, and the Company, whenever required by the Rights Agent, will supply the Rights Agent with Rights duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
5. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Rights.
5.1.
No Rights as Shareholder. Until exchange of a Right for Class A Ordinary Shares as provided for herein, a Right does not entitle
the registered holder thereof to any of the Rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive
dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to
5.2. Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Rights. If any Right is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Rights Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Right, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Right of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Right so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Right shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Right shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
5.3. Reservation of Class A Ordinary Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Class A Ordinary Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exchange of all outstanding Rights issued pursuant to this Agreement.
6. Concerning the Rights Agent and Other Matters.
6.1. Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Rights Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Class A Ordinary Shares upon the exchange of Rights, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Rights or such shares.
6.2. Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Rights Agent.
6.2.1. Appointment of Successor Rights Agent. The Rights Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Rights Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Rights Agent in place of the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Rights Agent or by the holder of the Right (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Right for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Right may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Rights Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Rights Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Rights Agent with like effect as if originally named as Rights Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Rights Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Rights Agent all the authority, powers, and Rights of such predecessor Rights Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Rights Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Rights Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
6.2.2. Notice of Successor Rights Agent. In the event a successor Rights Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Rights Agent and the transfer agent for the Class A Ordinary Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
6.2.3. Merger or Consolidation of Rights Agent. Any corporation into which the Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Rights Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
6.3. Fees and Expenses of Rights Agent.
6.3.1. Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Rights Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Rights Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Rights Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Rights Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
6.3.2. Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
6.4. Liability of Rights Agent.
6.4.1. Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer and delivered to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
6.4.2. Indemnity. The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. Subject to Section 6.6, the Company agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in the execution of this Agreement except as a result of the Rights Agent’s gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
6.4.3. Exclusions. The Rights Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Right (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Class A Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right or as to whether any Class A Ordinary Shares will, when issued, be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.
6.5. Acceptance of Agency. The Rights Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.
6.6. Waiver. The Rights Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Rights Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
7. Miscellaneous Provisions.
7.1. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
7.2. Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Rights Agent), as follows:
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Right or by the Company to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company), as follows:
Efficiency, INC.
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, California 94025
Attn: [ ]
And
Arc Group Securities Acquisition I
398
Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85284
Attn: Ian Hanna, Chief Executive Officer
with a copy to:
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
(732) 395-4400
Attn: Joseph Lucosky, Esq.
7.3. Applicable Law and Exclusive Forum. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Rights shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement, including under the Securities Act, shall 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 irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 7.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in the Rights shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in this Section 7.3. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions above, is filed in a court other than a court located within 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 Rights holder, such Rights holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District 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 Rights holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such Rights holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such Rights holder.
7.4. Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the registered holders of the Rights and, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the registered holders of the Rights.
7.5. Examination of this Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Rights Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the registered holder of any Right. The Rights Agent may require any such holder to submit his, her or its Right for inspection by it.
7.6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
7.7. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
7.8. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any registered holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the registered holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent or vote of the registered holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding Public Rights, to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of Public Rights and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Rights or Working Capital Rights or any provision of this Agreement with respect to the Private Rights, or Working Capital Rights (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any Private Rights or Working Capital Rights), 50% of the number of then outstanding Private Rights and Working Capital Rights.
7.9. Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| EFFICIENCY, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | [ ] | |
| Title: | [ ] | |
[Signature Page to Rights Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
Form of Right
Exhibit 5.1

June
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398 Mill Avenue, Suite 201B
Tempe, Arizona 85281
| RE: | Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-291302) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as United States securities counsel to ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, File No. 333-291302 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), covering an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of (i) 10,500,000 units (the “Units”), with each Unit consisting of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter (1/4) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the Company’s initial business combination (each, a “Right”) and one redeemable warrant (the “Warrants”); (ii) up to 1,575,000 Units (the “Over-Allotment Units”) for which the underwriter has been granted an over-allotment option; (iii) all Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants issued as part of the Units and Over-Allotment Units; and (iv) all Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units, and Over-Allotment Units.
We have examined such documents and considered such legal matters as we have deemed necessary and relevant as the basis for the opinion set forth below. With respect to such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as reproduced or certified copies, and the authenticity of the originals of those latter documents. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have, to the extent deemed appropriate, relied upon certain representations of certain officers of the Company. Because the agreements governing the Units and the Warrants contain provisions stating that they are to be governed by the laws of the State of New York, we are rendering this opinion as to New York law and have assumed the due authorization, execution and delivery of each such agreement by the Company in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands. We are admitted to practice in the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to any matters governed by any law other than the law of the State of New York. In particular, we do not purport to pass on any matter governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Rights (including the Rights issuable in connection with the Over-Allotment Units), the Warrants (including the Warrants issuable in connection with the Over-Allotment Units), the Units and the Over-Allotment Units, if and when paid for in accordance with the terms of the underwriting agreement between the Company and the underwriter for the Offering, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.
In addition, the foregoing opinions are qualified to the extent that (a) enforceability may be limited by and be subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including, without limitation, concepts of notice and materiality), and by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting creditors’ and debtors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, any state or federal law in respect of fraudulent transfers); and (b) no opinion is expressed herein as to compliance with or the effect of federal or state securities or blue sky laws.
We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to the use of our name as your U.S. counsel and to all references made to us in the Registration Statement and in the prospectus forming a part thereof. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
| Very Truly Yours, | |
| /s/ Lucosky Brookman LLP | |
| Lucosky Brookman LLP |
Exhibit 5.2
[Subject to review and amendment: draft 26 June 2026]
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
Mourant Governance Services (Cayman) Limited
94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay
PO Box 1348
Grand Cayman KY1-1108
Cayman Islands
(the Addressee)
Date | [●] 2026
Our ref | 8074715/255367177/4
Dear Addressee
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the Company)
We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to the Company in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File number 333-291302), including all amendments or supplement thereto (the Registration Statement) and the Company’s preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the Prospectus) initially filed on 5 November 2025 (as amended to date) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), for the purposes of registering with the Commission in accordance with the Securities Act and the offering and sale to the public of:
| (a) | up to 10,500,000 units (or up to 12,075,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the Units) at an offering price of US$10.00 per Unit, each Unit consisting of: |
| (i) | one class A ordinary share with a par value of US$0.0001 of the Company (the Class A Ordinary Shares); |
| (ii) | one redeemable warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at a price of US$11.50 per Class A Ordinary Share (the Warrants); and |
| (iii) | one right to receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Class A Ordinary Share upon the consummation of an initial business combination (the Rights); |
| (b) | all Class A Ordinary Shares, Warrants and Rights issued as part of the Units; and |
| (c) | all Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and conversion of the Rights included in the Units. |
This opinion is given in accordance with the terms of the “Legal Matters” section of the Registration Statement.
| 1. | Documents Reviewed |
| 1.1 | We have reviewed a copy of each of the following documents for the purposes of this opinion: |
| (a) | a draft of the form of specimen unit certificate representing the Units; |
| (b) | a draft of the form of specimen certificate for Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| (c) | a draft of the warrant agreement and the form of warrant certificate constituting the Warrants; |
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| (d) | a draft of the rights agreement and the form of right certificate constituting the Rights; |
| (e) | a draft of the underwriting agreement to be entered into between the Company and ARC Group Securities LLC as the representative of the underwriters named therein; |
| (f) | the Registration Statement; |
| (g) | the Prospectus; |
| (h) | in respect of the Company: |
| (i) | the certificate of incorporation dated 9 October 2025; |
| (ii) | the memorandum and articles of association of the Company that were registered upon the incorporation of the Company on 9 October 2025 (the Current M&A); |
| (iii) | the form of amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be adopted by special resolution of the Company’s shareholders and to be effective immediately prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering of the Units (the Post-IPO M&A); |
| (iv) | a certificate of good standing dated [●] 2026 (the Certificate of Good Standing) issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the Registrar); |
| (v) | the register of directors and officers and the register of members, each provided to us by the Company’s registered office provider, and a certificate from a director of the Company dated on or about the date of this opinion (together with the Certificate of Good Standing, the Current M&A and the Post-IPO M&A, the Company Records); |
| (vi) | written resolutions of the sole shareholder of the Company passed on [●] 2026 (the Shareholder Resolutions); and |
| (vii) | written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company passed on [●] 2026 approving (among other things) the offering and issue of the Class A Ordinary Shares, the Units, the Warrants and the Rights (the Board Resolutions). |
| 1.2 | The documents listed in items (a) to (e) above are collectively referred to as the Transaction Documents (which term does not include any other instrument or agreement whether or not specifically referred to therein or attached as an exhibit or schedule thereto). |
| 2. | Assumptions |
In giving this opinion, we have assumed (and have not independently verified) that:
| 2.1 | each document examined by us, whether it is an original or copy, is (along with any date, signature, initial, stamp or seal on it) genuine and complete, up-to-date and (where applicable) in full force and effect; |
| 2.2 | where a document has been examined by us in draft form, it will be or has been executed and/or filed in the form of the draft, and where a number of drafts of a document have been examined by us all changes thereto have been marked or otherwise drawn to our attention; |
| 2.3 | the factual representations made in the documents reviewed by us are accurate and complete in all respects; |
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| 2.4 | each director of the Company (and any alternate director) has disclosed to each other director any interest of that director (or alternate director) in the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement in accordance with the Current M&A; |
| 2.5 | the Board Resolutions and the Shareholder Resolutions were duly passed, are in full force and effect and have not been amended, varied, revoked or superseded in any respect; |
| 2.6 | the obligations of each party under each Transaction Document are legal, valid, binding and enforceable under all applicable laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands); |
| 2.7 | each party to each Transaction Document (other than, as a matter of the laws of the Cayman Islands, the Company where it is a party) has: |
| (a) | the capacity, power, authority and legal right; |
| (b) | taken all necessary action; and |
| (c) | obtained or made all necessary agreements, approvals, authorisations, consents, filings, licences, registrations and qualifications (whether as a matter of any law or regulation applicable to it or as a matter of any agreement binding upon it), |
to execute and perform its obligations under that Transaction Document;
| 2.8 | the choice of the governing law of each Transaction Document has been made in good faith; |
| 2.9 | none of our opinions will be affected by the laws or public policy of any foreign jurisdiction; |
| 2.10 | the directors of the Company have not exceeded any applicable allotment authority conferred on the directors by the shareholders; |
| 2.11 | the Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are valid and binding under the laws of the United States of America and the Registration Statement has been duly filed with the Commission; |
| 2.12 | the Company Records were, when reviewed by us, and remain at the date of this opinion accurate and complete; |
| 2.13 | there is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below; |
| 2.14 | the Class A Ordinary Shares will be issued at an issue price equal to at least the par value thereof; |
| 2.15 | each Transaction Document has been or will be authorised, duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands); and |
| 2.16 | the Post-IPO M&A will be adopted by the Company in accordance with the Current M&A prior to any Units, Class A Ordinary Shares, Warrants or Rights being issued by the Company. |
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| 3. | Opinion |
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and limitations set out below and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
| 3.1 | Status: the Company is incorporated under the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the Companies Act), validly exists under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company and is in good standing with the Registrar. |
| 3.2 | Authorised share capital: based solely on our review of the Current M&A and the Shareholder Resolutions, the authorised share capital of the Company is US$55,500 divided into 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share and 5,000,000 preference shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share. |
| 3.3 | Class A Ordinary Shares: the issue and allotment of the Class A Ordinary Shares to be offered and issued by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement (including the Class A Ordinary Shares included in the Units and the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and conversion of the Rights in accordance with their terms) have been duly authorised and when allotted, issued and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Class A Ordinary Shares will be legally issued and allotted, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders). |
| 3.4 | Authorisation of other securities: the issue of the Units, the Warrants and the Rights as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Transaction Documents has been duly authorised. |
| 3.5 | Binding obligations: when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the offering described in the Registration Statement and the applicable Transaction Documents, the Units, the Warrants and the Rights will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company. |
| 3.6 | Taxation: the statements under the caption “Cayman Islands Taxation” in the Prospectus, to the extent that they constitute statements of Cayman Islands law, are accurate in all material respects and such statements constitute our opinion. |
| 4. | Qualifications and limitations |
This opinion is subject to the following qualifications and limitations:
| 4.1 | This opinion: |
| (a) | is limited to the matters expressly stated in it; |
| (b) | is given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion; and |
| (c) | only relates to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion. |
| 4.2 | We have made no investigation of, and express no opinion with respect to, the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands or the effect of any document under those laws. In particular, we express no opinion as to the meaning or effect of any foreign statutes referred to in any document referred to in this opinion. |
| 4.3 | Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions the subject of this opinion. For the purposes of this opinion, we have only examined the documents listed in paragraph 1.1 above. We have not examined any term or document incorporated by reference, or otherwise referred to, whether in whole or part, in any document and we offer no opinion on any such term or document. |
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| 4.4 | Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members (shareholders) is prima facie evidence of title to shares and this register would not necessarily record a third party interest in such shares. 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. As far as we are aware, such applications are rarely made in the Cayman Islands and for the purposes of the opinion given in paragraph 3.3, there are no circumstances or matters of fact known to us on the date of this opinion which would properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company, but if such an application were made in respect of the Class A Ordinary Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court. |
| 4.5 | Under Cayman Islands law, good standing means only that, as of the date of issue of the Certificate of Good Standing, the Company has paid all fees and penalties under the Companies Act and is not, to the Registrar’s knowledge, in default under the Companies Act. To maintain the Company in good standing, the Company: |
| (a) | must pay all fees and penalties under the Companies Act; and |
| (b) | must not be, to the Registrar’s knowledge, in default under the Companies Act. |
| 4.6 | In this opinion the phrase non-assessable means, with respect to a share in the Company, that a member shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a member, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the share by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances and subject to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association, 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). |
| 4.7 | The obligations assumed by the Company under the Transaction Documents will not necessarily be enforceable in accordance with their terms in all circumstances. In particular, but without limitation: |
| (a) | enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to protecting or affecting the rights of creditors and/or contributories; |
| (b) | enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy; |
| (c) | where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction; |
| (d) | contractual provisions that require a defaulting party to pay a sum that is out of all proportion to the innocent party’s legitimate interest in the agreement being performed or which seek to punish a defaulting party may be held to be unenforceable on the ground that they constitute penalties; and |
| (e) | some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences. |
| 5. | Governing law |
This opinion and any non-contractual obligations arising out of it, are governed by, and to be interpreted in accordance with, laws in force in the Cayman Islands on the date of this opinion.
| 6. | Consent |
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our name under the headings “Risk Factors”, “Certain Differences in Corporate Law” and “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Yours faithfully
Mourant Ozannes (Cayman) LLP
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Exhibit 10.1
June [*], 2026
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
Tempe, AZ 85281
Attention: CEO
| Re: | Initial Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This
letter (this “Letter Agreement”) is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the
“Underwriting Agreement”) entered into by and among ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, incorporated in the
Cayman Islands
The Units will be sold in the Public Offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 and prospectus (the “Prospectus”) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the Company has applied to have the Units listed on The Nasdaq Global Market. Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 11 hereof.
In
order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the Public Offering and
for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, each of FDB
1.
The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination
2.
(a) The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees that in the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 12 months
from the closing of the Public Offering, with one (1) three-month extension if the Company has executed
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(b)
The Sponsor and each Insider acknowledges that it, he or she has no right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies
held in the Trust Account with respect to the Founder Shares held by it, him or her. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby further
waives, with respect to any Ordinary Shares held by it, him or her, if any, any redemption rights it, he or she may have in
connection with (a) the consummation of a Business Combination, including, without limitation, any such rights available in
3.
During the period commencing on the effective date of the Underwriting Agreement and until the consummation of a Business Combination,
the Sponsor and each Insider shall not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or
agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly,
or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section
16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of
the Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to any Units, Ordinary Shares (including, but not limited to, Founder Shares), Warrants
or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, Ordinary Shares owned by it, him or her, (ii) enter into any
swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any Units,
Ordinary Shares (including, but not limited to, Founder Shares), Warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable
for, Ordinary Shares owned by it, him or her, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or
otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii). The provisions of this
paragraph will not apply to any transfer permitted under paragraph
4. In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Account upon the failure of the Company to consummate its initial Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Charter, the Sponsor (the “Indemnitor”) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened) to which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by (i) any third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company (except for the Company’s independent auditors) or (ii) any prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement (a “Target”); provided, however, that such indemnification of the Company by the Indemnitor (x) shall apply only to the extent necessary to ensure that such claims by a third party or a Target do not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Offering Share and (ii) the actual amount per Offering Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per Offering Share is then held in the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes paid or payable, (y) shall not apply to any claims by a third party or a Target which executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) and (z) shall not apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Indemnitor shall have the right to defend against any such claim with counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to the Company if, within 15 days following written receipt of notice of the claim to the Indemnitor, the Indemnitor notifies the Company in writing that it shall undertake such defense.
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5.
To the extent that the Underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,575,000 Units
within 45 days from the date of the Prospectus (and as further described in the Prospectus), the Sponsor agrees to forfeit,
6. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees and acknowledges that: (i) the Underwriters and the Company would be irreparably injured in the event of a breach by such Sponsor or an Insider of its, his or her obligations under paragraphs 1, 2(a), 2(b), 3, 4, 5, 7(a) and 7(b), as applicable, of this Letter Agreement, (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach and (iii) the non-breaching party shall be entitled to injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy that such party may have in law or in equity, in the event of such breach.
7. (a) The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it, he or she shall not Transfer any Private Placement Units (including the securities comprising such units) until the completion of a Business Combination (the “Lock-up Periods”).
(b)
Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraph 7(a), Transfers of the Founder Shares (or any Class A Ordinary
Shares issuable upon conversion thereof
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8. The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that it, he or she has never been suspended or expelled from membership in any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended or revoked. Each Insider’s biographical information furnished to the Company (including any such information included in the Prospectus) is true and accurate in all respects and does not omit any material information with respect to the Insider’s background. The Sponsor and each Insider’s questionnaire furnished to the Company is true and accurate in all respects. The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that: it, he or she is not subject to or a respondent in any legal action for, any injunction, cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities in any jurisdiction; it, he or she has never been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, any crime (i) involving fraud, (ii) relating to any financial transaction or handling of funds of another person, or (iii) pertaining to any dealings in any securities and it, he or she is not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding.
9. [Reserved]
10. The Sponsor and each Insider have full rights and power, without violating any agreement to which it is bound (including, without limitation, any non-competition or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or former employer), to enter into this Letter Agreement and, as applicable, to serve as an officer and/or director on the board of directors of the Company and hereby consents to being named in the Prospectus as an officer and/or director of the Company.
11.
As used herein, (i) “Business Combination” shall mean a
12. The Company will maintain an insurance policy or policies providing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and each Director shall be covered by such policy or policies, in accordance with its or their terms.
13. This Letter Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby. This Letter Agreement may not be changed, amended, modified or waived (other than to correct a typographical error) as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by all parties hereto.
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14. No party hereto may assign either this Letter Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee. This Letter Agreement shall be binding on the Sponsor and each Insider and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and permitted transferees.
15. Nothing in this Letter Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Letter Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements contained in this Letter Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns and permitted transferees.
16. This Letter Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
17. This Letter Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Letter Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Letter Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible, valid, and enforceable.
18.
This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of
19. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Letter Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or e-mail transmission.
20. This Letter Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Lock-up Periods or (ii) the liquidation of the Company; provided that this Letter Agreement shall earlier terminate in the event that the Public Offering is not consummated and closed by December 31, 2026 ; provided further that paragraph 4 of this Letter Agreement shall survive such liquidation.
[Signature Page Follows]
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| Sincerely, | ||
| FDB
|
||
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Brynner Chiam | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| Acknowledged and Agreed: | ||
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | |
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Jake Carney | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Daniel A. Mace | |
| Title: | Director | |
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Patrik Hriczo | |
| Title: | Director | |
| By: | /s/ | |
| Name: | Jennifer Goforth | |
| Title: | Director | |
[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]
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Exhibit 10.2
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT
This Investment Management Trust Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made effective as of _____, 2026 by and between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Efficiency INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Trustee”).
WHEREAS, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, (File No. 333-291302) (the “Registration Statement”) and prospectus (the “Prospectus”) for the initial public offering of the Company’s units (the “Units”), each of which consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and one right that entitles the holder thereof to receive one-quarter of one Ordinary Share and one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Ordinary Share (such initial public offering hereinafter referred to as the “Offering”), has been declared effective as of the date hereof by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;
WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with ARC Group Securities LLC as representative (the “Representative”) of the underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named therein;
WHEREAS, as described in the Registration Statement, $105,000,000 of the gross proceeds of the Offering and sale of the Private Placement Units (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) (or $120,750,000 if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in a segregated trust account located at all times in the United States (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of the Company and the holders of the Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in the Offering as hereinafter provided (the amount to be delivered to the Trustee (and any interest subsequently earned thereon) is referred to herein as the “Property,” the shareholders for whose benefit the Trustee shall hold the Property will be referred to as the “Public Shareholders,” and the Public Shareholders and the Company will be referred to together as the “Beneficiaries”); and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Trustee shall hold the Property.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED:
1. Agreements and Covenants of Trustee. The Trustee hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Hold the Property in trust for the Beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of this Agreement in the Trust Account established by the Trustee in the United States at [ ] (or at another U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more) and at a brokerage institution selected by the Trustee that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company;
(b) Manage, supervise and administer the Trust Account subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;
(c) Promptly upon receipt of written instruction of the Company, (i) invest and reinvest the Property, initially solely in United States government securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (or any successor rule), which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, (ii) hold the Property as uninvested cash or (iii) hold the Property in an interest or non-interest bearing demand deposit account at a U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more selected by the Trustee that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company; the Trustee may not invest in any other securities or assets, it being understood that the Trust Account will earn no interest while account funds are uninvested awaiting the Company’s instructions hereunder and, while invested or uninvested, the Trustee may earn bank credits or other consideration;
(d) Collect and receive, when due, all interest or other income arising from the Property, which shall become part of the “Property,” as such term is used herein;
(e) Promptly notify the Company and the Representative of all communications received by the Trustee with respect to any Property requiring action by the Company;
(f) Supply any necessary information or documents as may be requested by the Company (or its authorized agents) in connection with the Company’s preparation of the tax returns relating to assets held in the Trust Account or in connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements or completion of the audit of the Company’s financial statements by the Company’s auditors;
(g) Participate in any plan or proceeding for protecting or enforcing any right or interest arising from the Property if, as and when instructed by the Company to do so;
(h) Render to the Company monthly written statements of the activities of, and amounts in, the Trust Account reflecting all receipts and disbursements of the Trust Account;
(i)
Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter
from the Company (“Termination Letter”) in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit
A or Exhibit B, as applicable, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial
Officer, Secretary or Chairperson of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) or other director
or authorized officer of the Company, and, in the case of Exhibit A, acknowledged and agreed to by the Representative, and complete the
liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the
Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable (other than any excise or similar tax) or owed and, in the case of Exhibit
B, less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents
referred to therein, or (y) upon the date which is the later of (1) 12 months after the closing of the Offering (or 15 months
(j) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit C (a “Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction”), withdraw from the Trust Account and distribute to the Company the amount of interest earned on the Property requested by the Company to cover any income tax obligation (not including any excise or similar tax) owed by the Company, which amount shall be delivered directly to the Company by electronic funds transfer or other method of prompt payment, and the Company shall forward such payment to the relevant taxing authority, so long as there is no reduction in the principal amount per share initially deposited in the Trust Account; provided, however, that to the extent there is not sufficient cash in the Trust Account to pay such tax obligation, the Trustee shall liquidate such assets held in the Trust Account as shall be designated by the Company in writing to make such distribution (it being acknowledged and agreed that any such amount in excess of interest income earned on the Property shall not be payable from the Trust Account). The written request of the Company referenced above shall constitute presumptive evidence that the Company is entitled to said funds, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility to look beyond said request;
(k) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit D (a “Shareholder Redemption Withdrawal Instruction”), the Trustee shall distribute on behalf of the Company the amount requested by the Company to be used to redeem Ordinary Shares from Public Shareholders properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, a Business Combination (as defined below) (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity. The written request of the Company referenced above shall constitute presumptive evidence that the Company is entitled to distribute said funds, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility to look beyond said request; and
(l) Not make any withdrawals or distributions from the Trust Account other than pursuant to Sections 1(i), 1(j), and 1(k) above.
| 2 |
2. Agreements and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Give all instructions to the Trustee hereunder in writing, signed by the Company’s Chairperson of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other director or authorized officer of the Company. In addition, except with respect to its duties under Sections 1(i), 1(j) and 1(k) hereof, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, any verbal or telephonic advice or instruction which it, in good faith and with reasonable care, believes to be given by any one of the persons authorized above to give written instructions, provided that the Company shall promptly confirm such instructions in writing;
(b) Subject to Section 4 hereof, hold the Trustee harmless and indemnify the Trustee from and against any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, or losses suffered by the Trustee in connection with any action taken by it hereunder and in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding brought against the Trustee involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand, which in any way arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Trustee hereunder, or the Property or any interest earned on the Property, except for expenses and losses resulting from the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Promptly after the receipt by the Trustee of notice of demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, pursuant to which the Trustee intends to seek indemnification under this Section 2(b), it shall notify the Company in writing of such claim (hereinafter referred to as the “Indemnified Claim”). The Trustee shall have the right to conduct and manage the defense against such Indemnified Claim; provided that the Trustee shall obtain the consent of the Company with respect to the selection of counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Trustee may not agree to settle any Indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the Company, which such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed; provided, further that the Company may conduct and manage the defense against any Indemnified Claim if the Trustee does not promptly take reasonable steps to mount such a defense. The Company may participate in such action with its own counsel;
(c) Pay the Trustee the fees set forth on Schedule A hereto, including an initial acceptance fee, annual administration fee and transaction processing fee which fees shall be subject to modification by the parties from time to time. It is expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay such fees unless and until it is distributed to the Company pursuant to Sections 1(i) through 1(k) hereof. The Company shall pay the Trustee the initial acceptance fee and the first annual administration fee at the consummation of the Offering. The Company shall not be responsible for any other fees or charges of the Trustee except as set forth in this Section 2(c), Schedule A and as may be provided in Section 2(b) hereof;
(d) In connection with any vote of the Company’s shareholders regarding a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”), provide to the Trustee an affidavit or certificate of the inspector of elections for the general meeting verifying the vote of such shareholders regarding such Business Combination;
(e) Provide the Representative with a copy of any Termination Letter(s) and/or any other correspondence that is sent to the Trustee with respect to any proposed withdrawal from the Trust Account promptly after it issues the same;
(f) [Reserved]
(g) Instruct the Trustee to make only those distributions that are permitted under this Agreement, and refrain from instructing the Trustee to make any distributions that are not permitted under this Agreement; and
| 3 |
3. Limitations of Liability. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability to:
(a) Imply obligations, perform duties, inquire or otherwise be subject to the provisions of any agreement or document other than this Agreement and that which is expressly set forth herein;
(b) Take any action with respect to the Property, other than as directed in Section 1 hereof, and the Trustee shall have no liability to any third party except for liability arising out of the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct;
(c) Institute any proceeding for the collection of any principal and income arising from, or institute, appear in or defend any proceeding of any kind with respect to, any of the Property unless and until it shall have received instructions from the Company given as provided herein to do so and the Company shall have advanced or guaranteed to it funds sufficient to pay any expenses incident thereto;
(d) Refund any depreciation in principal of any Property;
(e) Assume that the authority of any person designated by the Company to give instructions hereunder shall not be continuing unless provided otherwise in such designation, or unless the Company shall have delivered a written revocation of such authority to the Trustee;
(f) The other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the Trustee’s best judgment, except for the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Trustee, which counsel may be the Company’s counsel), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which the Trustee believes, in good faith and with reasonable care, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Trustee shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement or any of the terms hereof, unless evidenced by a written instrument delivered to the Trustee, signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Trustee are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto;
(g) Verify the accuracy of the information contained in the Registration Statement;
(h) Provide any assurance that any Business Combination entered into by the Company or any other action taken by the Company is as contemplated by the Registration Statement;
(i) File information returns with respect to the Trust Account with any local, state or federal taxing authority or provide periodic written statements to the Company documenting the taxes payable by the Company, if any, relating to any interest income earned on the Property;
(j) Prepare, execute and file tax reports, income or other tax returns and pay any taxes with respect to any income generated by, and activities relating to, the Trust Account, regardless of whether such tax is payable by the Trust Account or the Company, including, but not limited to, tax obligations, except pursuant to Section 1(j) hereof; or
(k) Verify calculations, qualify or otherwise approve the Company’s written requests for distributions pursuant to Sections 1(i), 1(j) and1(k) hereof.
4. Trust Account Waiver. The Trustee has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have now or in the future. In the event the Trustee has any Claim against the Company under this Agreement, including, without limitation, under Section 2(b) or Section 2(c) hereof, the Trustee shall pursue such Claim solely against the Company and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the Property or any monies in the Trust Account.
| 4 |
5. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate as follows:
(a) If the Trustee gives written notice to the Company that it desires to resign under this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to locate a successor trustee, pending which the Trustee shall continue to act in accordance with this Agreement. At such time that the Company notifies the Trustee that a successor trustee has been appointed and has agreed to become subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Trustee shall transfer the management of the Trust Account to the successor trustee, including but not limited to the transfer of copies of the reports and statements relating to the Trust Account, whereupon this Agreement shall terminate; provided, however, that in the event that the Company does not locate a successor trustee within ninety (90) days of receipt of the resignation notice from the Trustee, the Trustee may submit an application to have the Property deposited with any court in the State of New York or with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and upon such deposit, the Trustee shall be immune from any liability whatsoever; or
(b) At such time that the Trustee has completed the liquidation of the Trust Account and its obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(i) hereof and distributed the Property in accordance with the provisions of the Termination Letter, this Agreement shall terminate except with respect to Section 2(b).
(c) If the Offering is not consummated within ten (10) business days of the date of this Agreement, any funds received by the Trustee from the Company or Sponsor for purposes of funding the Trust Account shall be promptly returned to the Company or Sponsor, as applicable.
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) The Company and the Trustee each acknowledge that the Trustee will follow the security procedures set forth below with respect to funds transferred from the Trust Account. The Company and the Trustee will each restrict access to confidential information relating to such security procedures to authorized persons. Each party must notify the other party immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such confidential information, or of any change in its authorized personnel. In executing funds transfers, the Trustee shall rely upon all information supplied to it by the Company, including, account names, account numbers and all other identifying information relating to a Beneficiary, Beneficiary’s bank or intermediary bank. Except for any liability arising out of the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct, the Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or expense resulting from any error in the information or transmission of the funds.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. This Agreement may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.
(c) This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for Sections 1(i), 1(j), 1(k) and 1(l) hereof (which sections may not be modified, amended or deleted unless such modification, amendment or deletion is approved by the affirmative vote of two- thirds of the then outstanding Ordinary Shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company which are represented in person or by proxy and are voted at a general meeting of the Company, voting together as a single class; provided that no such amendment will affect any Public Shareholder who has properly elected to redeem his, her or its Ordinary Shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to this Agreement (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity) this Agreement or any provision hereof may only be changed, amended or modified (other than to correct a typographical error) by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
(d) The parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of any state or federal court located in the City of New York, State of New York, for purposes of resolving any disputes hereunder. AS TO ANY CLAIM, CROSS-CLAIM OR COUNTERCLAIM IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
| 5 |
(e) Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by facsimile or email transmission:
if to the Trustee, to:
Efficiency INC.
ATTN: [ ]
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, California 94025
Email: [***]
if to the Company, to:
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398
Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Telephone: (928) 625-0928
Attn: Ian Hanna
Email: ian.hanna@arc-securities.com
in each case, with copies to:
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
Tel: (732) 395-4400
Attn: Joseph Lucosky, Esq.
and
ARC Group Securities LLC
398 S Mill Avenue, Suite 306
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Attn: [ ]
Email: [ ]
(f) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby represents that it has the full right and power and has been duly authorized to enter into this Agreement and to perform its respective obligations as contemplated hereunder. The Trustee acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the Trust Account, including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance.
(g) This Agreement is the joint product of the Trustee and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(h) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, is a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
(i) Except as specified herein, no party to this Agreement may assign its rights or delegate its obligations hereunder to any other person or entity without the prior written consent of the other.
[Signature Page Follows]
| 6 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Investment Management Trust Agreement as of the date first written above.
| Efficiency INC., as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Signature page to
investment management trust agreement
| 7 |
SCHEDULE A
| Sch. A-1 |
Exhibit A
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Efficiency INC.
ATTN: [ ]
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
| Re: | Trust Account—Termination Letter |
Dear [_]:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) and Efficiency INC. (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2026 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has entered into an agreement with [●] (the “Target Business”) to consummate a business combination with Target Business (the “Business Combination”) on or about [insert date]. The Company shall notify you at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the actual date of the consummation of the Business Combination (the “Consummation Date”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to commence to liquidate all of the assets of the Trust Account and to transfer the proceeds into the trust operating account in the United States at [ ] to the effect that, on the Consummation Date, all of the funds held in the Trust Account will be immediately available for transfer to the account or accounts that the Company shall direct on the Consummation Date. It is acknowledged and agreed that while the funds are on deposit in the trust operating account at [ ] awaiting distribution, the Company will not earn any interest or dividends.
On the Consummation Date (i) counsel for the Company shall deliver to you written notification that the Business Combination has been consummated, or will be consummated concurrently with your transfer of funds to the accounts as directed by the Company (the “Notification”), (ii) the Company shall deliver to you (a) a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, which verifies that the Business Combination has been approved by a vote of the Company’s shareholders, if a vote is held and (b) a joint written instruction signed by the Company and the Representative with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account, including payment of amounts owed to Public Shareholders who have properly exercised their redemption rights (the “Instruction Letter”). You are hereby directed and authorized to transfer the funds held in the Trust Account immediately upon your receipt of the Notification and the Instruction Letter, in accordance with the terms of the Instruction Letter. In the event that certain deposits held in the Trust Account may not be liquidated by the Consummation Date without penalty, you will notify the Company in writing of the same and the Company shall direct you as to whether such funds should remain in the Trust Account and be distributed after the Consummation Date to the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds, net of any payments necessary for reasonable unreimbursed expenses related to liquidating the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.
| A-1 |
In the event that the Business Combination is not consummated on the Consummation Date described in the notice thereof and we have not notified you on or before the original Consummation Date of a new Consummation Date, then upon receipt by the Trustee of written instructions from the Company, the funds held in the Trust Account shall be reinvested as provided in Section 1(c) of the Trust Agreement on the business day immediately following the Consummation Date as set forth in such written instructions as soon thereafter as possible.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Agreed and acknowledged by: | ||
| ARC Group Securities LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| A-2 |
Exhibit B
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Efficiency INC.
ATTN: [ ]
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
| Re: | Trust Account—Termination Letter |
Dear [_]:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) and Efficiency INC. (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2026 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that [the Company has been unable to effect a business combination with a Target Business within the time frame specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”)] OR [the Company’s board of directors has determined to terminate the period in which the Company must consummate a Business Combination on ____, 20___ pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”)] as described in the Company’s Prospectus relating to the Offering. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all of the assets in the Trust Account and to transfer the total proceeds into the trust operating account in the United States at [ ] to await distribution to the Public Shareholders, less taxes payable and up to $100,000 to cover dissolution expenses of the Company. In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such $_____ promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Company’s operating account at:
[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION].
The Company has selected [●], 20[ ]1 as the effective date for the purpose of determining when the Public Shareholders will be entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and, in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, agree to distribute said funds directly to the Company’s Public Shareholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. Upon the distribution of all the funds, net of any payments necessary for reasonable unreimbursed expenses related to liquidating the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated, except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 1(j) of the Trust Agreement.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | ARC Group Securities LLC |
| 1 | 12 months after the closing of the Offering (or 15 months
|
| B-1 |
Exhibit C
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Efficiency INC.
ATTN: [ ]
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
| Re: | Trust Account—Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction |
Dear [_]:
Pursuant to Section 1(j) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) and Efficiency INC. (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2026 (the “Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the Company $[●] of the interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
The Company needs such funds to pay for the tax obligations, as permitted under the Trust Agreement, as set forth on the attached tax return or tax statement. In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Company’s operating account at:
[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION]
| Very truly yours, | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | ARC Group Securities LLC |
| C-1 |
Exhibit D
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Efficiency INC.
ATTN: [ ]
2440 Sand Hill Rd., Unit 101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
| Re: | Trust Account—Shareholder Redemption Withdrawal Instruction |
Dear [_]:
Pursuant to Section 1(k) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I (the “Company”) and Efficiency INC. (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2026 (the “Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the redeeming Public Shareholders of the Company $[●] of the principal and interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof to a segregated account held by you on behalf of the Beneficiaries for distribution to the Public Shareholders who have requested redemption of their Ordinary Shares. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
The Company needs such funds to pay its Public Shareholders who have properly elected to have their Ordinary Shares redeemed by the Company in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”) not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, a Business Combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity. As such, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the redeeming Public Shareholders in accordance with your customary procedures.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | ARC Group Securities LLC |
| D-1 |
Exhibit 10.3
REGISTRATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [●], 2026, is made and entered into by and among ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and ARC Group Securities LLC (the “Representative”) and each of the undersigned parties listed on the signature page hereto under “Holders” (each such party, together with the Sponsor and Representative and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 6.2 of this Agreement, a “Holder” and collectively the “Holders”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS,
pursuant to that certain subscription agreement for founder shares dated October 16,
WHEREAS,
on May 6, 2026, the Sponsor surrendered 2,217,857
WHEREAS,
the Founder Shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value
WHEREAS, on the date hereof, the Company and the Sponsor entered into that certain Private Units Purchase Agreement (the “Private Units Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 private placement units (the “Private Placement Units”), each Private Placement Unit being comprised of one Ordinary Share (the “Private Placement Shares”), one right to receive one-fourth (1/4) of one Ordinary Share (the “Private Rights”) and one redeemable warrant (the “Private Placement Warrants”) to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Warrant Shares”) and to be governed by the Warrant Agreement to be entered into with Efficiency INC., in a private placement transaction occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial public offering;
WHEREAS, in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with its search for and consummation of an initial Business Combination (as defined below), the Sponsor, its affiliates or any of the Company’s officers and directors may loan to the Company funds as the Company may require, of which up to $2,500,000 may be convertible into Private Placement Units (the “Working Capital Units”) at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender;
WHEREAS,
the Representative
WHEREAS, the Company and the Holders desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Company shall grant the Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1. Definitions. The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of any director of the Company, the principal executive officer or principal financial officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.
“Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Board”
shall mean the
“Business
Combination” shall mean any merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or
other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, involving the Company
“Commission” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Demand Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Demanding Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.
“Form S-1” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Form S-3” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.
“Founder
Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto and shall be deemed to include the Ordinary Shares issuable
upon conversion thereof
“Founder
Shares Lock-up Period” shall mean, with respect to the Founder Shares and any Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion
thereof
“Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Insider Letter” shall mean that certain letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company, the Sponsor and each of the Company’s officers and directors.
“Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.
“Misstatement” shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus (in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
“Nominee” is defined in Section 5.1.1.
“Ordinary Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Permitted
Transferees” shall mean any person or entity to whom a Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable
Securities prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period, Private Placement Lock-up Period or any other lock-up period,
as the case may be, under the Insider Letter, the Private Units Purchase
“Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.
“Private Placement Lock-up Period” shall mean, with respect to Private Placement Units (including the securities comprising such units), that are held by the initial purchasers of such Private Placement Units or their Permitted Transferees the period ending 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
“Private Placement Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Private Placement Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Private Rights” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Private Units Purchase Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Pro Rata” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
“Registrable
Security” shall mean (a) the Founder Shares (including any Ordinary Shares or other equivalent equity security issued or
issuable upon the conversion of any of the Founder Shares
“Registration” shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
“Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:
(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed;
(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);
(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;
(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and
(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.
“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Representative” shall have the meaning given in the introductory paragraph to this Agreement.
“Representative Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.
“Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.
“Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Subsequent Shelf Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.2.
“Takedown Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.3.
“Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Underwritten Registration” or “Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.
“Underwritten Shelf Takedown” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.3.
“Warrant Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Working Capital Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
ARTICLE II
REGISTRATIONS
2.1. Demand Registration.
2.1.1.
Request for Registration. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, at any time and
from time to time on or after the date the Company consummates the Business Combination, (i) the Holders of at least fifteen percent
(15%) of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities or (ii) the Representative
2.1.2.
Effective Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.1.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a
Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (i) the Registration Statement filed
with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and
(ii) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, further,
that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant
to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or
any other governmental agency the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared
effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest
of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly
notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days, of such election; and provided, further, that
the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been
previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration becomes effective or is subsequently terminated. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Representative
2.1.3. Underwritten Offering. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.1.3 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration.
2.1.4. Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other shareholders who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Registration (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Registrable Securities of Holders (Pro Rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has so requested) exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof, without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.1.5. Demand Registration Withdrawal. A majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration or a majority-in-interest of the Requesting Holders (if any), pursuant to a Registration under subsection 2.1.1 hereof shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to such Demand Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.1.5.
2.2. Piggyback Registration.
2.2.1. Piggyback
Rights. If, at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination, the Company proposes to file a
Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations
exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of shareholders of
the Company (or by the Company and by the shareholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1
hereof), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (ii) for
an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing shareholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that
is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written
notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10)
days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of
securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing
Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity
to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after
receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”). The Company shall, in good
faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its best efforts to cause the
managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the
Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any
similar securities of the Company included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable
Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their
Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting
agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company. The notice periods set
forth in this subsection 2.2.1 shall not apply to an Underwritten Shelf Takedown conducted in accordance with subsection
2.3.3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Representative
2.2.2. Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggyback Registration (other than an Underwritten Shelf Takedown), in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of the Ordinary Shares that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(a) If the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that such Holder has requested be included in such Registration), which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;
(b) If the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof, pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has requested be included in such Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Holders have requested to be included in such Registration, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.2.3. Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration. The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.
2.2.4. Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.1 hereof.
2.3. Shelf Registration.
2.3.1. The Holders of Registrable Securities may at any time, and from time to time, request in writing that the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), register the resale of any or all of their Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short form registration statement that may be available at such time (“Form S-3”), or if the Company is ineligible to use Form S-3, on Form S-1; a registration statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.3.1 (a “Shelf”) shall provide for the resale of the Registrable Securities included therein pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder. Within five (5) days of the Company’s receipt of a written request from a Holder or Holders of Registrable Securities for a Registration on a Shelf, the Company shall promptly give written notice of the proposed Registration to all other Holders of Registrable Securities, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration on a Shelf shall so notify the Company, in writing, within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. As soon as practicable thereafter, but not more than twelve (12) days after the Company’s initial receipt of such written request for a Registration on a Shelf, the Company shall register all or such portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities as are specified in such written request, together with all or such portion of Registrable Securities of any other Holder or Holders joining in such request as are specified in the written notification given by such Holder or Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such Registration pursuant to this subsection 2.3.1 if the Holders of Registrable Securities, together with the Holders of any other equity securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such Registration, propose to sell the Registrable Securities and such other equity securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $20,000,000. The Company shall maintain each Shelf in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements as may be necessary to keep such Shelf continuously effective, available for use and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities included on such Shelf. In the event the Company files a Shelf on Form S-1, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to convert the Form S-1 to a Form S-3 as soon as practicable after the Company is eligible to use Form S-3.
2.3.2. If any Shelf ceases to be effective under the Securities Act for any reason at any time while Registrable Securities included thereon are still outstanding, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable cause such Shelf to again become effective under the Securities Act (including obtaining the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf), and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable amend such Shelf in a manner reasonably expected to result in the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf or file an additional registration statement (a “Subsequent Shelf Registration”) registering the resale of all Registrable Securities including on such Shelf, and pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder. If a Subsequent Shelf Registration is filed, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) cause such Subsequent Shelf Registration to become effective under the Securities Act as promptly as is reasonably practicable after the filing thereof and (ii) keep such Subsequent Shelf Registration continuously effective, available for use and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities included thereon. Any such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on Form S-3 to the extent that the Company is eligible to use such form. Otherwise, such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on another appropriate form. In the event that any Holder holds Registrable Securities that are not registered for resale on a delayed or continuous basis, the Company, upon request of a Holder shall promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the resale of such Registrable Securities to be covered by either, at the Company’s option, a Shelf (including by means of a post-effective amendment) or a Subsequent Shelf Registration and cause the same to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and such Shelf or Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be subject to the terms hereof; provided, however, the Company shall only be required to cause such Registrable Securities to be so covered once annually after inquiry of the Holders.
2.3.3.
At any time and from time to time after a Shelf has been declared effective by the Commission, each of the Sponsor, the
2.3.4.
If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, in good faith, advises the Company, the Sponsor, the Representative,
2.3.5.
The Sponsor, the
2.4. Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (A) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 hereof and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (B) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (C) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, then in each case the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be seriously detrimental to the Company for such Registration Statement to be filed in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement. In such event, the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than thirty (30) days; provided, however, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any 12-month period.
2.5. Legends. In connection with any sale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities by a Holder pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission) and upon compliance by the Holder with the requirements of this Section 2.5, if requested by the Holder, the Company shall cause the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities (the “Transfer Agent”) to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such Registrable Securities and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends within two (2) trading days of any such request therefor from the Holder; provided that the Company and the Transfer Agent have timely received from the Holder customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith. Subject to receipt from the Holder by the Company and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, the Holder may request that the Company remove any legend from the book entry position evidencing its Registrable Securities and the Company will, if required by the Transfer Agent, use its commercially reasonable efforts cause an opinion of the Company’s counsel be provided, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent, to the effect that the removal of such restrictive legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act, following the earliest of such time as such Registrable Securities (i) are subject to or have been or are about to be sold pursuant to an effective registration statement or (ii) have been or are about to be sold pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission). If restrictive legends are no longer required for such Registrable Securities pursuant to the foregoing, the Company shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section and within two (2) trading days of any request therefor from the Holder accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable representations and other documentation referred to above establishing that restrictive legends are no longer required, deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent, its legal counsel and all DTC fees associated with such issuance.
ARTICLE III
COMPANY PROCEDURES
3.1. General Procedures. If at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible:
3.1.1. prepare and file with the Commission as soon as practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;
3.1.2. prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be requested by the Holders or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
3.1.3. prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ and Underwriters’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders and Underwriters may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;
3.1.4. prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use its best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
3.1.5. cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
3.1.6. provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
3.1.7. advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
3.1.8. at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or prospectus furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities and its counsel, including, without limitation, providing copies promptly upon receipt of any comment letters received with respect to any such Registration Statement or Prospectus;
3.1.9. notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;
3.1.10. permit a representative of the Holders (such representative to be selected by a majority of the participating Holders), the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representatives or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information; and provided further, the Company may not include the name of any Holder or Underwriter or any information regarding any Holder or Underwriter in any Registration Statement or Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus, any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any response to any comment letter, without the prior written consent of such Holder or Underwriter and providing each such Holder or Underwriter a reasonable amount of time to review and comment on such applicable document, which comments the Company shall include unless contrary to applicable law;
3.1.11. obtain a “cold comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Registration which the participating Holders may rely on, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.12. on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority in interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.13. in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;
3.1.14. make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);
3.1.15. if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and
3.1.16. otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.
3.2. Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.
3.3. Requirements for Participation in Underwritten Offerings. No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
3.4. Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure. Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until he, she or it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until he, she or it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than thirty (30) days, determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4.
3.5. Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Ordinary Shares held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
4.1. Indemnification.
4.1.1. The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers and directors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.
4.1.2. In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company.
4.1.3. Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (plus local counsel) for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
4.1.4. The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities. The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in an offering also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Company’s or such Holder’s indemnification is unavailable for any reason.
4.1.5. If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
4.2.
Waiver of Medallion Guaranty. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to enter into an indemnification agreement
in customary form, in favor of Efficiency INC. (or any successor transfer agent or warrant agent of the Company) in connection with the
waiver of any requirement to provide a medallion guarantee in connection with any Transfer of any equity securities of the Company by
the Sponsor, the
ARTICLE V
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
5.1 Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, at any time and from time to time on or after the date that the Company consummates an initial Business Combination and for so long as the Sponsor holds any Registrable Securities:
ARTICLE VI
MISCELLANEOUS
6.1.
Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (i) deposit in the United States mail,
addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (ii) delivery in person
or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (iii) transmission by hand delivery, electronic mail, telecopy, telegram or
facsimile. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently
given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed
and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery, electronic mail, telecopy, telegram or facsimile, at such time
as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused
by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company, to 398 S Mill
Avenue, Suite
6.2. Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.
6.2.1. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.
6.2.2 Prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Private Placement Lock-up Period, as the case may be, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee but only if such Permitted Transferee agrees to become bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Agreement.
6.2.3. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.
6.2.4. This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 6.2 hereof.
6.2.5. No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 6.1 hereof and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 6.2 shall be null and void.
6.3. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.
6.4. Governing Law; Venue. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AS APPLIED TO AGREEMENTS AMONG NEW YORK RESIDENTS ENTERED INTO AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. ANY LEGAL SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR BASED UPON THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY MAY BE INSTITUTED IN THE FEDERAL COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN EACH CASE LOCATED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, AND EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING.
6.5. Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question (which majority interest must include the Representative if such amendment or modification affects in any way the rights of the Representative hereunder), compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in his, her or its capacity as a holder of the capital shares of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
6.6. Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
6.7. Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary of the date of this Agreement or (ii) the date as of which (A) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission)) or (B) the Holders of all Registrable Securities are permitted to sell the Registrable Securities without registration pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act with no volume or other restrictions or limitations. The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV hereof shall survive any termination.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ARC
GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I, |
||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| HOLDERS: | ||
| FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Brynner Chiam | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES LLC | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
[Signature Page to Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement]
Exhibit 10.4
PRIVATE UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This
PRIVATE UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of the [ ] day of [ ], 2026,
by and between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) and FDB
WHEREAS,
the Company intends to consummate an initial public offering (the “IPO”) of the Company’s units (the “Units”),
each Unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share, par value
WHEREAS, the Company desires to sell to the Subscriber on a private placement basis (the “Offering”) an aggregate of 140,000 private placement units (each, a “Placement Unit” and, collectively, the “Placement Units”) of the Company for a purchase price of $10.00 per Placement Unit. Each Placement Unit is comprised of one Class A Ordinary Share (a “Placement Share”), one right entitling the holder to one-quarter of one Class A Ordinary Share (each, a “Placement Right”) and one Warrant (a “Placement Warrant” and together with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”) to be governed by the Warrant Agreement. Each Placement Warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share (a “Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of $11.50. The Placement Units, the Placement Shares, the Placement Rights and Placement Warrants comprising part of the Placement Units, the Placement Shares issuable under the Placement Rights and the Warrant Shares underlying the Placement Warrants collectively, are hereinafter referred to as the “Securities.” As provided in the registration statement in connection with the IPO of the Company’s Units, as amended at the time it becomes effective (the “Registration Statement”), the Warrants are exercisable during the period commencing 30 days following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination (the “Business Combination”) and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the consummation of the Business Combination (provided that so long as the Private Warrants are held by the Subscriber or its designees, the Subscriber or its designees will not be permitted to exercise such Warrants after the five year anniversary of the commencement of sales in the IPO in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)); and
WHEREAS, the Subscriber wishes to purchase an aggregate of 140,000 Placement Units, and the Company wishes to accept such subscription from the Subscriber.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Subscriber hereby agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Subscribe
1.1. Purchase and Issuance of the Placement Units. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, on the date of the consummation of the IPO or on such earlier time and date as may be mutually agreed by the Subscriber and the Company (the “Closing Date”), the Subscriber hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to the Subscriber 140,000 Placement Units at a price per unit of $10.00 for an aggregate purchase price of $1,400,000 (the “Purchase Price”). On the Closing Date, the Company shall, at its option, deliver to the Subscriber the certificates representing the Placement Units purchased or effect such delivery in book-entry form.
1.2.
Purchase Price. The Purchase Price shall be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds, or by such other method as may
be reasonably acceptable to the Company,
1.3. Closings. The Closing shall take place at the offices of Lucosky Brookman LLP, 101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor, Woodbridge, NJ 08830, or such other place as may be agreed upon by the parties hereto.
1.4 Termination. This Agreement and each of the obligations of the undersigned shall be null and void and without effect if a Closing does not occur prior to [_], 2026.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Subscriber
As a material inducement to the Company to enter into this Agreement and issue and sell the Placement Units to the Subscriber, the Subscriber represents and warrants to the Company that:
2.1. No Government Recommendation or Approval. The Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company, the merits of the Offering of the Securities or the suitability of the investment in the Securities by the Subscriber.
2.2. Accredited Investor. The Subscriber represents that it is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and acknowledges that the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance, among other things, on a private placement exemption to “accredited investors” under the Securities Act and similar exemptions under state law. The Subscriber has not experienced a disqualifying event as enumerated pursuant to Rule 506(d) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.
2.3. Intent. The Subscriber is purchasing the Securities solely for investment purposes, for the Subscriber’s own account (and/or for the account or benefit of its members or affiliates, as permitted, pursuant to the terms hereof), and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, any public sale or distribution thereof.
2.4. Restrictions on Transfer. The Subscriber acknowledges and understands the Placement Units are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering in the United States within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and, if in the future the Subscriber decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Securities, such Securities may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only (A) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (B) pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, if available, or (C) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subscriber acknowledges and understands the Securities are subject to transfer restrictions as described in Section 7 hereof. The Subscriber agrees that if any transfer of its Securities or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, the Subscriber may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company with respect to such transfer. Absent registration or another available exemption from registration, the Subscriber agrees it will not resell the Securities (unless otherwise permitted pursuant to the terms hereof). The Subscriber further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to the Subscriber for the resale of the Securities until the following conditions are met: (i) the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; (ii) the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); (iii) 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 Form 8-K reports; and (iv) 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, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
2.5. Sophisticated Investor.
(i) The Subscriber is sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Securities. The Subscriber has adequate means of providing for its current financial needs and contingencies and will have no current or anticipated future needs for liquidity which would be jeopardized by the investment in the Securities.
(ii) The Subscriber has been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities which have been requested by the Subscriber. The Subscriber has been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the executive officers and directors of the Company.
(iii) The Subscriber is aware that an investment in the Securities is highly speculative and subject to substantial risks because, among other things, (a) the Securities are subject to transfer restrictions and have not been registered under the Securities Act and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available, (b) except as specifically set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined below) pursuant to which the Company will grant certain registration rights to the Subscriber relating to the Securities, neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to register the Securities under the Securities Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder and (c) the Subscriber has waived its redemption rights with respect to the Securities as set forth in Section 5 hereof, and the Securities held by the Subscriber are not entitled to, and have no right, interest or claim to any monies held in the Trust Account, and accordingly the Subscriber may suffer a loss of a portion or all of its investment in the Securities. The Subscriber is able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time. The Subscriber has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the acquisition of the Securities.
2.6.
2.7. Authority. This Agreement has been validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Subscriber and is a valid and binding agreement of the Subscriber enforceable against the Subscriber in accordance with its terms, subject to the general principles of equity and to bankruptcy or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.
2.8. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Subscriber’s organizational documents, (ii) any agreement or instrument to which the Subscriber is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Subscriber is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Subscriber is subject.
2.9. No Legal Advice from Company. The Subscriber acknowledges it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement with the Subscriber’s own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. Except for any statements or representations of the Company made in this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto, the Subscriber is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.
2.10. Reliance on Representations and Warranties. The Subscriber understands the Placement Units are being offered and sold to the Subscriber in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and analogous provisions in the laws and regulations of various states, and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Subscriber set forth in this Agreement in order to determine the applicability of such provisions.
2.11. No General Solicitation. The Subscriber is not subscribing for the Placement Units as a result of or subsequent to any general solicitation or general advertising, including but not limited to any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television or radio, or presented at any seminar or meeting or in a registration statement with respect to the IPO filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
2.12. Legend. The Subscriber acknowledges and agrees the certificates evidencing each of the Securities shall bear a restrictive legend (the “Legend”), in form and substance substantially as set forth in Section 4 hereof.
3. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Subscriber that:
3.1.
Valid Issuance. The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par
value
3.2
Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the Warrant Agreement and
the
3.3.
3.4. Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no further consent or authorization of the Company or its Board of Directors or shareholders is required, and (iii) this Agreement constitutes valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by equitable principles of general application and except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal and state securities laws or principles of public policy.
3.5.
No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated hereby do not (i) result in a violation of the Company’s
4. Legends
4.1. Legend. The Company will issue the Placement Units, Placement Shares, Placement Rights, and Placement Warrants, and when issued, the Warrant Shares, purchased by the Subscriber in the name of the Subscriber. The Securities will bear the following Legend and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENTS BY AND AMONG ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I (THE “COMPANY”), FDB I AND THE OTHER SIGNATORIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.”
4.2. Subscriber’s Compliance. Nothing in this Section 4 shall affect in any way the Subscriber’s obligation and agreement to comply with all applicable securities laws upon resale of the Securities.
4.3. Company’s Refusal to Register Transfer of the Securities. The Company shall refuse to register any transfer of the Securities, if in the sole judgment of the Company such purported transfer would not be made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (ii) in compliance herewith.
4.4 Registration Rights. The Subscriber will be entitled to certain registration rights which will be governed by a registration rights agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”) to be entered into between, among others, the Subscriber and the Company, on or prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Subscriber may not exercise its demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five (5) and seven (7) years from the commencement of sales in the IPO and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion.
5. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions.
In
connection with the Securities purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber hereby waives any and all right, title, interest
or claim of any kind in or to any distributions of the amounts in the Trust Account with respect to the Securities, whether (i) in connection
with the exercise of redemption rights if the Company consummates the Business Combination, (ii) in connection with any tender offer
conducted by the Company prior to a Business Combination, (iii) upon the Company’s redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares included
in the Units sold in the Company’s IPO upon the Company’s failure to
6. Terms of Placement Warrants and Placement Rights. Each Placement Warrant shall have the terms set forth in the Warrant Agreement and each Placement Right shall have the terms set forth in the Right Agreement.
7. Lock-Up Period.
7.1.
The Subscriber agrees that they shall not Transfer any Securities until the consummation of the Business Combination; provided, however,
that Transfers of Securities are permitted (a) to the Company’s or the Subscriber’s
7.2. For purposes of Section 7.1, the term “Transfer” shall mean the (a) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder with respect to, any of the Securities, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of the Securities, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such Securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).
7.3 In addition to the restrictions on transfer described in Section 7.1, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Units and their component parts and the related registration rights will be deemed compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and will therefore, pursuant to Rule 5110(e) of the FINRA Manual, be subject to lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in the IPO, subject to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). Additionally, the Placement Units and their component parts and the related registration rights may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated during the foregoing 180 day period except to any underwriter or selected dealer participating in the IPO and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates of the Subscriber and any such participating underwriter or selected dealer. Additionally, the Placement Units and their component parts and the related registration rights will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of such securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in the IPO.
8. Terms of the Placement Units
The Placement Units shall be substantially identical to the Units offered in the IPO except that the Placement Units (including the Placement Shares , Placement Rights and Placement Warrants comprising such units and the Warrant Shares) (i) will be subject to the transfer restrictions described in Section 7 hereof; (ii) will be entitled to registration rights and (iii) with respect to the Placement Warrants, may not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in the IPO in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
9. Conditions of the Subscriber’s Obligations
The obligation of the Subscriber to purchase and pay for the Placement Units is subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions:
9.1. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3 hereof shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing Date as though then made.
9.2. Performance. The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by it on or before the Closing Date.
9.3. No Injunction. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby, which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Warrant Agreement.
9.4. Warrant Agreement. The Company shall have entered into the Warrant Agreement with a warrant agent on terms satisfactory to the Subscriber.
10. Conditions of the Company’s Obligations
10.1. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Subscriber contained in Section 2 hereof shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing Date as though then made.
10.2. Performance. The Subscriber shall have performed and complied with all agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by the Subscriber on or before the Closing Date.
10.3. No Injunction. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby, which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Warrant Agreement.
10.4. Warrant Agreement. The Company shall have entered into the Warrant Agreement with a warrant agent on terms satisfactory to the Subscriber.
11. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York for agreements made and to be wholly performed within such state. The parties hereto hereby waive any right to a jury trial in connection with any litigation pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
12. Assignment; Entire Agreement; Amendment
12.1. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by any party to any other person other than by the Subscriber to a person agreeing to be bound by the terms hereof, including the transfer restrictions contained in Section 7 hereof.
12.2. Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the parties as to the subject matter thereof and merges and supersedes all prior discussions, agreements and understandings of any and every nature among them.
12.3.
Amendment. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived,
discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by all of the parties hereto. Any amendment to the terms of the Placement
Rights and Placement Warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation thereof) shall require the prior
written consent of
12.4. Binding upon Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and to their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
13. Notices
13.1 Notices. Unless otherwise provided herein, any notice or other communication to a party hereunder shall be sufficiently given if in writing and personally delivered or sent by facsimile or other electronic transmission with copy sent in another manner herein provided or sent by courier (which for all purposes of this Agreement shall include Federal Express or other recognized overnight courier) or mailed to said party by certified mail, return receipt requested, at its address provided for herein or such other address as either may designate for itself in such notice to the other. Communications shall be deemed to have been received when delivered personally, on the scheduled arrival date when sent by next day or 2nd-day courier service, or if sent by facsimile upon receipt of confirmation of transmittal or, if sent by mail, then three days after deposit in the mail. If given by electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered (a) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the recipient has consented to receive notice; (b) if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the recipient of such specific posting, upon the later of (1) such posting and (2) the giving of such separate notice; and (c) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the recipient.
14. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
15. Survival; Severability
15.1. Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto shall survive the Closing Date.
15.2. Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision; provided that no such severability shall be effective if it materially changes the economic benefit of this Agreement to any party.
16. Headings.
The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement to be effective as of the date first set forth above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| SUBSCRIBER: | ||
| FDB I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Brynner Chiam | |
| Title: | Manager | |
[Signature Page – Unit Purchase Agreement]
Exhibit 10.5
FORM OF INDEMNITY AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of [_], 2026, by and between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and the undersigned (“Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held companies as directors, officers or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such companies;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined below) from certain liabilities;
WHEREAS, while the
WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s shareholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;
WHEREAS,
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity, and Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he or she be so indemnified.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. SERVICES TO THE COMPANY. In consideration of the Company’s covenants and obligations hereunder, Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or any other capacity of the Company, as applicable, for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed or retained or until Indemnitee tenders his or her resignation or until Indemnitee is removed. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director, officer, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as provided in Section 17. This Agreement, however, shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.
2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement:
(a) References to “agent” shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, to include such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or other official of another company, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.
(b) The terms “Beneficial Owner” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below) as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) “Cayman Islands Court” shall mean the courts of the Cayman Islands.
(d) A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:
(i) Acquisition of Shares by Third Party.
Other than an affiliate of FDB I, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), any Person (as
defined below) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent
(15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally
(ii) Change in Board of Directors. Individuals
who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board, and any new director whose
(iii) Corporate Transactions. The effective
date of a merger,
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(iv)
Liquidation. The approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series
of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than factoring
the Company’s current receivables or escrows due (or, if such
(v)
Other Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule
14A of Regulation 14A (or any successor rule) (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the
Exchange Act
(e)
“Companies Law” shall mean the Companies Act
(f) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.
(g) “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.
(h) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other company, corporation, constituent company or corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned Subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent.
(i) “Exchange Act” shall mean the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(j)
“Expenses” shall include all direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever,
including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts,
witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs,
telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations
or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness
in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding
(k) References to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan.
(l) References to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.
(m)
“Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters
of
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(n) The term “Person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that “Person” shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiaries of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary of the Company or of any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary of the Company or of a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company.
(o)
The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation,
alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding,
whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims),
criminal, administrative or investigative or related nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party or otherwise
by reason of the fact
(p) The term “Subsidiary,” with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.
3. INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
4.
INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Amended and
Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with
the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent
or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s
Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually
and reasonably incurred by him or her on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein,
if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue
or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court
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5. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF
A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section
6.
INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement except for Section
7. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS AND EXONERATION RIGHTS.
(a) Notwithstanding any limitation in
Sections 3, 4, or 5, except for Section
(b) Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, 5 or 7(a), except for Section 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.
8. CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY.
(a)
To the fullest extent permissible under law
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(b) The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.
(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.
9. EXCLUSIONS. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, advance expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:
(a) for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity or advancement provision and which payment has not subsequently been returned, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity or advancement provision or otherwise;
(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act (or any successor rule) or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or
(c)
except as otherwise provided in Sections 14(f)-(g) hereof, prior to a Change in Control, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part
of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against
the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of
any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment, in its
sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.
10. ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of
this Agreement to the contrary except for Section
(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.
(c) The Company shall not settle any action, claim or Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense, judgment, fine, penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
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11. PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) Indemnitee agrees to notify promptly the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding, claim, issue or matter therein which may be subject to indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights, or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.
(b) Indemnitee may deliver to the Company a written application to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement. Such application(s) may be delivered from time to time and at such time(s) as Indemnitee deems appropriate in his or her sole discretion. Following such a written application for indemnification by Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be determined according to Section 12(a) of this Agreement.
12. PROCEDURE UPON APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) A determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be made in the specific case by one of the following methods, which shall be at the election of Indemnitee: (i) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, (iii) if there are no Disinterested Directors or if such directors so direct, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee, or (iv) by vote of the shareholders. The Company promptly will advise Indemnitee in writing with respect to any determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or Expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.
(b)
In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 12(a) hereof,
the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 12(b). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee
(unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising
it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements
of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. If the Independent Counsel is selected by the Board,
the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him or her of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying
that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this
Agreement. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection
shall have been received, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided,
however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements
of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity
the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If
such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless
and until such objection is withdrawn or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within
twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(b) hereof, no Independent
Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Cayman Islands Court for resolution
of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or
for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the Cayman Islands Court, and the person with respect to whom all
objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section
(c) The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify and hold harmless such Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
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13. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person, persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11(b) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(b) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 12 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee 12 shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a final judicial determination that any or all such indemnification is expressly prohibited under law or the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company; provided, however, that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto.
(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
(d) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors, manager, or officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member, or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member, by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member. The provisions of this Section 13(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed or found to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
(e) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
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14. REMEDIES OF INDEMNITEE.
(a)
In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification
under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum
and Articles of Association, is not timely made pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification
shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request
for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5, 6, 7 or the last sentence of Section 12(a) of
this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) a contribution payment is not made
in a timely manner pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement, (vi) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3 or 4 of this Agreement
is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, or (vii) payment
to Indemnitee pursuant to any hold harmless or exoneration rights under this Agreement or otherwise is not made in accordance with this
Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by the Cayman Islands Court to such indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration,
contribution or advancement rights. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his or her option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted
by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Except as set forth herein,
the provisions of Cayman Islands law (without regard to its conflict of laws rules) shall apply to any such arbitration. The Company
shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.
(b) In the event that a determination shall have
been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any
(c) In any
(d) If a determination shall have been made pursuant
to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in
any
(e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting
in any
(f) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless
Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association against all Expenses
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(g)
Interest shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee at the legal rate under New York law for amounts which the Company indemnifies, holds
harmless or exonerates, or advances, or is obliged to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate or advance for the period commencing with
the date on which Indemnitee requests indemnification, to be held harmless, exonerated, contribution, reimbursement or advancement of
any Expenses and ending with the date on which such payment is made to Indemnitee by
15.
SECURITY. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, except for Section
16. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION.
(a)
The rights of Indemnitee as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any
time be entitled under applicable law, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, any agreement, a vote of shareholders
or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or
(b) The Companies Law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association permit the Company to purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit, or surety bond (“Indemnification Arrangements”) on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against him or her or incurred by or on behalf of him or her or in such capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement or under the Companies Law, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment, and maintenance of any such Indemnification Arrangement shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such Indemnification Arrangement.
(c)
To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, trustees,
partners, managers, managing members, fiduciaries, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person serves
at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum
extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, trustee, partner, managers, managing member, fiduciary, employee or
agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee
is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect,
the Company shall give prompt notice of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective
policies. The Company shall thereafter take
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(d) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, including with respect to any insurance. The Indemnitee shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights. No such payment by the Company shall be deemed to relieve any insurer of its obligations.
(e)
The Company’s obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving
at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any
other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payments
or advancement of expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section
(f) Notwithstanding anything contained herein, the Company is the primary indemnitor, and any indemnification or advancement obligation of the Sponsor or its affiliates is secondary.
17.
DURATION OF AGREEMENT. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee
serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee
or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee serves
at the request of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding
18. SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.
19. ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT.
(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company.
(b) Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.
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(c) The indemnification, hold harmless,
exoneration and advancement of expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable
by the parties hereto and their respective successors and
(d) The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
(e) The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult of proof, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may, to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which he or she may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by a court of competent jurisdiction, Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.
20. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
21. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:
(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.
(b) If to the Company, to:
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398 Mill Avenue
Suite
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Attn: Ian Hanna
With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
Attn: Joseph Lucosky, Esq.
or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee in writing by the Company.
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22. APPLICABLE LAW AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Cayman Islands Court and not in any state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country; (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Cayman Islands Court; and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Cayman Islands Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial. To the fullest extent permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the parties hereby agree that the mailing of process and other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided by Section 21 or in such other manner as may be permitted by law and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof.
23. IDENTICAL COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
24. MISCELLANEOUS. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.
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In this Agreement:
| (a) | words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender; words importing persons include corporations as well as any other legal or natural person; | |
| (b) | “written” and “in writing” include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an electronic record; | |
| (e) | “shall” shall be construed as imperative and “may” shall be construed as permissive; | |
| (f) | references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced; | |
| (g) | any phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms; | |
| (h) | the term “and/or” is used herein to mean both “and” as well as “or.” The use of “and/or” in certain contexts in no respects qualifies or modifies the use of the terms “and” or “or” in others. The term “or” shall not be interpreted to be exclusive and the term “and” shall not be interpreted to require the conjunctive (in each case, unless the context otherwise requires); | |
| (i) | headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing this Agreement; | |
| (j) | any
requirements as to delivery under this Agreement include delivery in the form of an electronic record (as defined in the Electronic
Transactions Act | |
| (k) | any
requirements as to execution or signature under this Agreement including the execution of this Agreement itself can be satisfied
in the form of an electronic signature (as defined in the Electronic Transactions Act | |
| (l) | sections
8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Act |
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| INDEMNITEE | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Address: | ||
[Signature page - Indemnity Agreement]
| 15 |
Exhibit 10.8
[●], 2026
ARC Group Securities Acquisition I
398
S. Mill Avenue, Suite
Tempe, AZ 85281
Re: Administrative Services Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This
letter agreement by and between ARC Group Securities Acquisition I,
The Sponsor hereby
This
letter agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of its subject matter and supersedes
all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in
any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated
This letter agreement may not be amended, modified or waived as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by the parties hereto.
No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other party. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee.
This
letter agreement constitutes the entire relationship of the parties hereto, and any litigation between the parties (whether grounded
in contract, tort, statute, law or equity) shall be governed by, construed in accordance with, and interpreted pursuant to the laws of
the State of New York, without giving effect to its choice of
This letter agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
[Signature Page Follows]
| Very Truly Yours, | ||
| ARC Group Securities Acquisition I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Ian Hanna | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY: | ||
| FDB I | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Brynner Chiam | |
| Title: | Manager | |
Exhibit 14.1
FORM OF
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
OF
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
| 1. | Introduction |
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), has adopted this code of business conduct and ethics (this “Code”), as may be amended from time to time by the Board and which is applicable to all of the Company’s directors, officers and employees (to the extent that employees are hired in the future) (collectively, “Covered Persons”) to:
| ● | promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
| ● | promote the full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as in other public communications made by or on behalf of the Company; |
| ● | promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; |
| ● | deter wrongdoing; and |
| ● | require prompt internal reporting of breaches of, and accountability for adherence to, this Code. |
This Code may be amended and modified by the Board. In this Code, references to the “Company” mean ARC Group Securities Acquisition I and, in appropriate context, the Company’s subsidiaries, if any.
| 2. | Honest, Ethical and Fair Conduct |
Each Covered Person owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest, fair and candid. Deceit, dishonesty and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity. Service to the Company should never be subordinated to personal gain and advantage.
Each Covered Person must:
| ● | act with integrity, including being honest and candid while still maintaining the confidentiality of the Company’s information where required or when in the Company’s interests; |
| ● | observe all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; |
| ● | comply with the requirements of applicable accounting and auditing standards, as well as Company policies, in order to maintain a high standard of accuracy and completeness in the Company’s financial records and other business-related information and data; |
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| ● | adhere to a high standard of business ethics and not seek competitive advantage through unlawful or unethical business practices; |
| ● | deal fairly with the Company’s customers, suppliers, competitors and employees; |
| ● | refrain from taking advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice; |
| ● | protect the assets of the Company and ensure their proper use; |
| ● | subject
to, and except as permitted by, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended |
| ● | avoid
conflicts of interest, wherever possible, except as may be allowed under |
| ● | any significant ownership interest in any supplier, customer, potential business partner or potential target; |
| ● | any consulting or employment relationship with any supplier, customer, potential business partner or potential target; |
| ● | the receipt of any money, non-nominal gifts or excessive entertainment from any entity with which the Company has current or prospective business dealings; |
| ● | selling anything to the Company or buying anything from the Company, except on the same terms and conditions as comparable officers or directors are permitted to so purchase or sell (and, in the absence of any such comparable officer or director, on the same terms and conditions as a third party would buy or sell a comparable item in an arm’s-length transaction); |
| ● | any other financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the Company; and |
| ● | any other circumstance, event, relationship or situation in which the personal interest of a Covered Person interferes - or even appears to interfere - with the interests of the Company as a whole. |
| 2 |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prohibit a director, officer, employee or contractor of the Company from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity or making other disclosures that are protected pursuant to federal law or regulation. Prior authorization from the Company is not required in order to make any such reports or disclosures and the reporting individual is not required to notify the Company that such reports or disclosures have been made. In addition, pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act, employees shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. Should any provision in this Code conflict with this provision, this provision shall control.
| 3. | Disclosure |
The Company strives to ensure that the contents of and the disclosures in the reports and documents that the Company files with the SEC and other public communications shall be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable in accordance with applicable disclosure standards, including standards of materiality, where appropriate. Each Covered Person must:
| ● | not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company’s independent registered public accountants, governmental regulators, self-regulating organizations and other governmental officials, as appropriate; and |
| ● | in relation to his or her area of responsibility, properly review and critically analyze proposed disclosure for accuracy and completeness. |
In addition to the foregoing, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company and each subsidiary of the Company (or persons performing similar functions), and each other person that typically is involved in the financial reporting of the Company, must familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
Each Covered Person must promptly bring to the attention of the Chairman of the Board any information he or she may have concerning (a) significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal and/or disclosure controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or (b) any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s financial reporting, disclosures or internal controls.
| 3 |
| 4. | Compliance |
It is the Company’s obligation and policy to comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. All Covered Persons are expected to understand, respect and comply with all of the laws, regulations, policies and procedures that apply to them in their positions with the Company. Employees are responsible for talking to their supervisors to determine which laws, regulations and Company policies apply to their position and what training is necessary to understand and comply with them.
Directors, officers and employees are directed to supervise compliance with specific policies and procedures that are applicable to persons they supervise.
| 5. | Reporting and Accountability |
The Board is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented to it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any Covered Person who becomes aware of any existing or potential breach of this Code is required to notify the Chairman of the Board (or, if the matter involves the Chairman of the Board, the Chairman of the Audit Committee) promptly. Failure to do so is, in and of itself, a breach of this Code.
Specifically, each Covered Person must:
| ● | notify the Chairman of the Board (or, if the matter involves the Chairman of the Board, the Chairman of the Audit Committee) promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code; and |
| ● | not retaliate against any other person for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith. |
The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:
| ● | the Board will take all appropriate action to investigate any breaches reported to it. |
| ● | upon determination by the Board that a breach has occurred, the Board (by majority decision) will take or authorize such disciplinary or preventive action as it deems appropriate, after consultation with the Company’s internal or external legal counsel, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities. |
No person following the above procedure shall, as a result of following such procedure, be subject by the Company or any officer or employee thereof to discharge, demotion, suspension, threat, harassment or, in any manner, discrimination against such person in terms and conditions of employment.
| 4 |
| 6. | Waivers and Amendments |
Any waiver (defined below) or an implicit waiver (defined below) from a provision of this Code for the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, and any amendment (as defined below) to this Code, is required to be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8- K filed with the SEC. In lieu of filing a Current Report on Form 8-K to report any such waivers or amendments, the Company may provide such information on a website, in the event that it establishes one in the future, and if it keeps such information on the website for at least 12 months and discloses the website address as well as any intention to provide such disclosures in this manner in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
A “waiver” means the approval by the Board of a material departure from a provision of the Code. An “implicit waiver” means the Company’s failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the Code that has been made known to an executive officer of the Company. An “amendment” means any amendment to this Code other than minor technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments hereto.
All Covered Persons should note that it is not the Company’s intention to grant or to permit waivers from the requirements of this Code. The Company expects full compliance with this Code.
| 7. | Insider Information and Securities Trading |
Covered Persons who have access to material, non-public information are not permitted to use that information, directly or indirectly, to buy or sell the Company’s securities (or derivative instruments based on those securities) or for any purpose unrelated to the Company’s business. It is also against the law to trade or to “tip” others who might make an investment decision based on inside Company information. For example, using non-public information to buy or sell the Company’s securities, options in or other derivative securities whose price is related to the price of the Company’s securities or the securities of any Company supplier, customer, competitor, potential business partner or potential target is prohibited. The consequences of insider trading violations can be severe. These rules also apply to the use of material, nonpublic information about other companies (including, for example, the Company’s suppliers, customers, competitors and potential business partners and potential targets). In addition to Covered Persons, the rules in this Section 7 apply to each Covered Person’s spouse, children, parents and siblings, as well as any other family members living in such Covered Person’s home. All Covered Persons are required to comply in all respects with the Company’s Insider Trading Policy. Please refer to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Manual for further information.
| 8. | Financial Statements and Other Records |
All of the Company’s books, records, accounts and financial statements must be maintained in reasonable detail, must appropriately reflect the Company’s transactions and must both conform to applicable legal requirements and to the Company’s system of internal controls. Unrecorded or “off the books” funds or assets should not be maintained unless permitted by applicable law or regulation.
Records should always be retained or destroyed according to the Company’s record retention policies. In accordance with those policies, in the event of litigation or governmental investigation, please consult the Board or the Company’s internal or external legal counsel.
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| 9. | Improper Influence on Conduct of Audits |
No director or officer, or any other person acting under the direction thereof, shall directly or indirectly take any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence any public or certified public accountant engaged in the performance of an audit or review of the financial statements of the Company or take any action that such person knows or should know that if successful could result in rendering the Company’s financial statements materially misleading. Any Covered Person who believes such improper influence is being exerted should report such action to such Covered Person’s supervisor, or if that is impractical under the circumstances, to any of the Company’s directors.
Types of conduct that could constitute improper influence include, but are not limited to, directly or indirectly:
| ● | offering or paying bribes or other financial incentives, including future employment or contracts for non-audit services; |
| ● | providing an auditor with an inaccurate or misleading legal analysis; |
| ● | threatening to cancel or canceling existing non-audit or audit engagements if the auditor objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| ● | seeking to have a partner removed from the audit engagement because the partner objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| ● | blackmailing; and |
| ● | making physical threats. |
| 10. | Anti-Corruption Laws |
The Company complies with the anti-corruption laws, regulations and policies of the countries in which it does business, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Directors, officers and employees will not directly or indirectly give anything of value to government officials, including employees of state-owned enterprises or foreign political candidates. These requirements apply both to Company employees and agents, such as third party sales representatives, no matter where they are doing business. If you are authorized to engage agents on the Company’s behalf, you are responsible for ensuring they are reputable and for obtaining a written agreement to uphold the Company’s standards in this area.
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| 11. | Violations |
Violation of this Code is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Such action is in addition to any civil or criminal liability which might be imposed by any court or regulatory agency.
| 12. | Other Policies and Procedures |
Any other policy or procedure set out by the Company in writing or made generally known to employees, officers or directors of the Company prior to the date hereof or hereafter are separate requirements and remain in full force and effect.
| 13. | Inquiries |
All inquiries and questions in relation to this Code or its applicability to particular people or situations should be addressed to the Company’s Secretary, or such other compliance officer as shall be designated from time to time by the Company.
PROVISIONS FOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS
The CEO and all senior financial officers, including the CFO and principal accounting officer, are bound by the provisions set forth herein relating to ethical conduct, conflicts of interest and compliance with law. In addition to this Code, the CEO and senior financial officers are subject to the following additional specific policies:
1. Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts between personal, private interests and the interests of the Company, including receiving improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
2. Disclose to the CEO and the Board any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest.
3. Perform responsibilities with a view to causing periodic reports and documents filed with or submitted to the SEC and all other public communications made by the Company to contain information that is accurate, complete, fair, objective, relevant, timely and understandable, including full review of all annual and quarterly reports.
4. Comply with laws applicable to the Company, including but not limited to rules and regulations of U.S. federal, state and other local governments and with the rules and regulations of private and public regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the Company.
5. Act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting or omitting material facts or allowing independent judgment to be compromised or subordinated.
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6. Respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of performance of his or her responsibilities except when authorized or otherwise legally obligated to disclose any such information; not use confidential information acquired in the course of performing his or her responsibilities for personal advantage.
7. Share knowledge and maintain skills important and relevant to the needs of the Company, its shareholders and other constituencies and the general public.
8. Proactively promote ethical behavior among subordinates and peers in his or her work environment and community.
9. Use and control all corporate assets and resources employed by or entrusted to him or her in a responsible manner.
10.
Not use corporate information, corporate assets, corporate opportunities or his or her position with the Company for personal gain; not
compete directly or indirectly with the Company, subject to the exceptions set forth in the Company’s
11. Comply in all respects with this Code.
12. Advance the Company’s legitimate interests when the opportunity arises.
The Board will investigate any reported violations and will oversee an appropriate response, including corrective action and preventative measures. Any officer who violates this Code will face appropriate, case specific disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
Any request for a waiver of any provision of this Code must be in writing and addressed to the Chairman of the Board. Any waiver of this Code will be disclosed as provided in Section 6 of this Code.
It is the policy of the Company that each officer covered by this Code shall acknowledge and certify to the foregoing annually and file a copy of such certification with the Chairman of the Board.
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OFFICER’S CERTIFICATION
I have read and understand the foregoing Code. I hereby certify that I am in compliance with the foregoing Code and I will comply with the Code in the future. I understand that any violation of the Code will subject me to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
| Dated: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
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Exhibit 23.1
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent
We
consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated
/s/ Marcum Asia CPAs LLP
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Exhibit 99.1
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
I. Purpose
The Audit Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), shall provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its legal and fiduciary obligations to oversee:
(a) the quality and integrity of the financial statements and other financial information provided by the Company to its shareholders, the public, any stock exchange and others;
(b) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
(c) the qualifications and independence of the Company’s independent auditor;
(d)
the performance of the Company’s internal audit function (to the extent the Board determines that an internal audit function is
necessary) and its system of internal controls and independent
(e)
the appointment, compensation, performance, retention, replacement and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other
independent registered public accounting firm engaged by
(f) the preparation of the report to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, as required by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”); and
(g) such other matters as are assigned to the Committee by the Board pursuant to this Charter or as mandated under applicable laws, rules and regulations (including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as well as listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (together, the “Applicable Requirements”).
Although the Committee has the powers and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, the role of the Committee is oversight. The members of the Committee are not full-time employees of the Company and may or may not be accountants or auditors by profession or experts in the fields of accounting or auditing and, in any event, do not serve in such capacity. Consequently, it is not the duty of the Committee to conduct audits or to determine that the Company’s financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate and are in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) and other Applicable Requirements. These are the responsibilities of management and the Company’s independent auditor.
II. Organization
The Committee shall consist of three or more directors, each of whom shall satisfy the independence, financial literacy, and other qualifications required by the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, if any, Section 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and any other Applicable Requirements, subject to any phase-in periods or cure periods permitted by Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iv)(A) under the Exchange Act and other Applicable Requirements. At least one member of the Committee shall be an “audit committee financial expert” (as defined by the SEC pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002). Determinations of independence, financial literacy, experience and expertise shall be made by the Board as the Board interprets such qualifications in its business judgment.
Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board (if any are in office at the time). Members of the Committee may be removed at any time by action of the Board; provided, however, that if removing a member or members of the Committee would cause the Committee to have fewer than three members, then the Board must, based upon the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board, at the same time appoint enough additional members to the Committee so that the Committee will have at least three qualified members. The Committee’s chairperson shall be designated by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board (if any are in office at the time) or, if not so designated, the members of the Committee shall elect a chairperson by a vote of the majority of the full Committee.
The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees from time to time as it sees fit, provided that the subcommittees are composed entirely of directors who satisfy the applicable independence requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines and the Applicable Requirements.
III. Meetings
The Committee shall meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis, or as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities. Meetings shall be called by the chairperson of the Committee or, if there is no chairperson, by a majority of the members of the Committee. Meetings may be held telephonically or by other electronic means to the extent permitted by the Company’s organizational documents and applicable law.
A
majority of the members of the entire Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Committee shall act on the affirmative vote a majority
of members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Without a meeting, the Committee may act by unanimous written
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The Committee shall also meet periodically with management, the chief internal auditor (if any) and the Company’s independent auditor in separate executive sessions to discuss any matters that the Committee or each of these groups believe should be discussed privately.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings.
IV. Authority and Responsibilities
In fulfilling its duties and responsibilities hereunder, the Committee will be entitled to rely reasonably on (a) the integrity of those persons within the Company and the professionals and experts (such as the Company’s independent auditor) from whom it receives information, (b) the accuracy of the financial and other information provided to the Committee by such persons and (c) representations made by the Company’s independent auditor as to any services provided by such firm to the Company.
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Committee shall:
With respect to the engagement of the Company’s independent and other auditors:
| 1. | Be responsible for (a) the appointment, compensation, retention, (including termination), scope and oversight of the work of any independent registered public accounting firm engaged by the Company (including for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attestation services or other work for the Company), and (b) the resolution of any disagreements between management and any such firm regarding financial reporting. |
| 2. | Have the authority to review in advance and pre-approve (which may be pursuant to pre-approval policies and procedures) all audit or non-audit services to be provided by the Company’s independent or other auditors as permitted by Section 10A of the Exchange Act and to approve all related fees and other terms of engagement (including planning for and staffing the audit). The Committee shall also review and approve disclosures required to be included by the Company in periodic reports filed with the SEC under Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to audit and non-audit services. |
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| 3. | At least annually, obtain and review a formal written report from the Company’s independent auditor (a) describing such firm’s internal quality control procedures, (b) describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control review, peer review or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) review or inspection of such 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 such firm, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues, and (c) assessing such firm’s independence, including delineating all relationships and engagements that may reasonably be thought to bear on the independence of the auditor, including those between the auditor and the Company. The Committee shall discuss this report with the Company’s independent auditor and shall take appropriate action to ensure the independence of the independent auditor and to address any other matters based on such report. |
| 4. | Confirm that the “lead partner,” the “concurring partner” and the other “audit partner” rotation requirements under the Applicable Requirements, including Regulation S-X have been complied with and set clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and that audit partner compensation is consistent with any applicable SEC rules.
|
| 5. | Review all reports and communications required to be submitted by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Committee under Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act and other Applicable Requirements. |
| 6. | At least annually, evaluate the performance of the Company’s independent auditor, including the lead audit partner. In making its evaluation, the Committee should take into account the opinions of management and the internal audit group (if any). |
| 7. | Review and discuss with the Company’s independent auditor all relationships the auditor has with the Company and evaluate the auditor’s continued independence. |
| 8. | Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the Company’s independent auditor. |
With respect to the Company’s financial statements and other financial reporting:
| 9. | Review and discuss the Company’s annual audited and quarterly unaudited financial statements with management and the Company’s independent auditor, including disclosures made in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. |
| 10. | Recommend to the Board whether the Company’s annual audited financial statements should be included in the Company’s annual report for filing with the SEC and timely prepare the report required by the SEC to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, if applicable, and any other reports of the Committee required by any Applicable Requirement. |
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| 11. | Review and discuss with management and the Company’s independent auditor (a) major issues regarding, or significant changes in, the Company’s accounting principles and financial statement presentations, (b) analyses prepared by management or the Company’s independent auditor concerning significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, (c) the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the financial statements of the Company, and (d) the type and presentation of information to be included in earnings press releases (paying particular attention to any use of “pro forma” or “adjusted” non-GAAP information) and any financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. |
| 12. | Prior to the filing of any audited financial statements with the SEC, review with management and the Company’s independent auditor (a) all critical accounting policies and practices used by the Company, (b) all alternative accounting treatments of financial information reported in GAAP related to material items that have been discussed with management, including the ramifications of the use of such alternative treatments and disclosures and the treatment preferred by the Company’s independent auditor, (c) any reports or communications (and management’s responses thereto) submitted to the Committee by the Company’s independent auditor in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit Committees, as amended or supplemented, (d) any recommendations of the Company’s independent auditor made in connection with the Company’s annual audit and (e) any other material written communications between the Company’s independent auditor and management. |
| 13. | Periodically review separately with each of management, the Company’s independent auditor and the internal audit group (if any) (a) any significant disagreement between management and the Company’s independent auditor or the internal audit group in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, (b) any audit problems or difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information, and (c) management’s response to each. The Committee shall discuss with the independent auditor material issues on which the national office of the independent auditor was consulted by the Company’s audit team. |
| 14. | Periodically discuss with the Company’s independent auditor, without management being present, (a) their judgment about the quality, integrity and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting principles and financial disclosure practices as applied in its financial reporting and (b) the completeness and accuracy of the Company’s financial statements. |
| 15. | Review and discuss with management the Company’s earnings press releases, including the use of non-GAAP financial measures and other “pro forma” or “adjusted” presentations, as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. Such discussions may be general (consisting of discussing the types of information to be disclosed and the types of presentations to be made), and each earnings release or each instance in which the Company provides earnings guidance need not be discussed in advance. |
| 16. | Review and discuss with management all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations) and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons. |
| 17. | Review and approve the Company’s decision to enter into swaps and other derivatives transactions that are exempt from exchange-execution and clearing under “end-user exception” regulations established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and review and approve the Company’s policies governing the Company’s use of swaps and other derivatives transactions subject to the end- user exception. |
| 18. | Review and discuss with management and the internal audit group (if any) the Company’s major financial risk exposures and management’s risk assessment and risk management policies. |
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With respect to the internal audit function (but only to the extent an internal audit function exists), and with respect to internal controls:
| 19. | Review, based on the recommendation of the Company’s independent auditor and the person responsible for the Company’s internal audit group, the scope and plan of the work to be done by the internal audit group and the responsibilities, budget, audit plan, activities, organizational structure and staffing of the internal audit group as needed. |
| 20. | Receive reports from the internal audit group on the status of significant findings and recommendations, and management’s responses. |
| 21. | Review on an annual basis the performance of the internal audit group. |
| 22. | In consultation with the Company’s management, independent auditor and the internal audit group, review the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls, disclosure processes and its procedures designed to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies or significant weaknesses in internal controls. |
| 23. | Review, at least annually, (a) the internal control report prepared by management, including management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and (b) the Company’s independent auditor’s attestation, and report, on the assessment made by management, in each case, as and when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Discuss with management, the internal audit group and the independent auditor any changes in internal control over financial reporting disclosed or considered for disclosure in the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC. |
| 24. | Review with management and the Company’s independent auditor any reports or disclosure submitted by management to the Committee as contemplated by the certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 25. | Review with management any management letters and the steps management intends to take to address the issues raised by those letters. |
With respect to the Company’s compliance programs:
| 26. | Monitor compliance with the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and oversee, review and discuss with management, at least annually, the implementation and effectiveness of the Company’s compliance and ethics programs. Review and take appropriate action with respect to any reports to the Committee from legal counsel for the Company concerning any material violation of securities law or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Company, its subsidiaries or any person acting on their behalf. As appropriate, the Committee shall report and make recommendations to the Board with respect to these matters. |
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| 27. | Establish procedures for (a) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and (b) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company whose financial information is included in the Company’s financial statements of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. |
| 28. | Review and approve (a) any amendment to or waiver from the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for the chief executive officer and senior financial officers and (b) any public disclosure made regarding such change or waiver and advise the Board with respect to the Company’s policies and procedures regarding compliance with the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. |
| 29. | Develop
and recommend to the Board for approval policies and procedures for the review, approval or ratification of related person transactions
required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K, as may be amended from time to time, and any other |
| 30. | Review with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and 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 the Company’s 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. |
| 31. | Monitor
compliance by the Company of the employee conflict of interest requirements contained in the |
| 32. | Review with the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and independent registered public accounting firm periodically any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| 33. | To the extent that the Company’s securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to Rule 10D-1 under the Exchange Act, the Committee shall, with the assistance of management, advise the Board and any other Board committees if the clawback provisions of the Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change. |
| 34. | Implement and oversee the Company’s cybersecurity and information security policies, and periodically review the policies and managing potential cybersecurity incidents. |
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With respect to the Committee’s other authorities and responsibilities:
| 35. | Approve
reimbursement of expenses incurred by management in connection with certain activities on the |
| 36. | Review and assess annually its own performance and the adequacy of this Charter and recommend to the Board any changes to this Charter deemed appropriate by the Committee. |
| 37. | Report regularly to the Board. |
| 38. | Perform any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s organizational documents, as required under the Applicable Requirements or as the Committee or the Board otherwise deems necessary or appropriate. |
| 39. | Review
on a quarterly basis all payments the Company makes to |
V. Resources
The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committee’s scope of responsibilities, and shall have the authority to retain or terminate, at its sole discretion, independent legal, accounting and other advisors, consultants or professionals (collectively, “Advisors”) to assist the Committee in its responsibilities and shall be directly responsible for overseeing the work of such Advisors. The chairperson of the Committee, at the request of any member of the Committee, may request any officer, employee or advisor of the Company, the Company’s independent auditor or others to attend a meeting of the Committee or otherwise respond to Committee requests.
The Committee shall have the sole authority to determine the terms of engagement and the extent of funding necessary (and to be provided by the Company) for payment of (a) compensation to the Company’s independent auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, (b) any compensation to any Advisors retained to advise the Committee and (c) ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.
Nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of the members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
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Exhibit 99.2
ARC GROUP SECURITIES ACQUISITION I
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | Purpose |
The
Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors
| II. | Organization |
The Committee shall consist of two or more directors, each of whom shall satisfy the applicable independence and other compensation committee membership requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) and any other applicable regulatory requirements subject to any exceptions or cure periods that are applicable pursuant to the foregoing requirements and the phase-in periods permitted under the Nasdaq rules under which the Committee is required to have only one independent member at the time of listing, a majority of independent members within 90 days of listing and all independent members within one year of listing.
At least one member of the Committee shall have experience in matters relating to executive compensation either as a professional or as a business executive. At least two members shall qualify as (a) “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 162(m)”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including Treasury Regulations Section 1.162-27 (“Outside Directors”), and (b) “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Section 16 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“Non-Employee Directors”).
Members
of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board (if any
are in office at the time) and may be removed by the Board at any time; provided, however, that if removing a member or members of the
Committee would cause the Committee to have fewer than two members, then the Board must, based upon the recommendation of a majority
of the independent directors of the Board, at the same time appoint an additional member to the Committee so that the Committee will
have at least two members who
The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees from time to time as it sees fit, provided that the subcommittees are composed entirely of directors who satisfy the applicable independence requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines and Nasdaq.
| III. | Meetings |
The Committee shall meet as often as necessary to carry out its responsibilities, but no less than once annually. Meetings shall be called by the chairperson of the Committee or, if there is no chairperson, by a majority of the members of the Committee. Meetings may be held telephonically or by other electronic means to the extent permitted by the Company’s organizational documents and applicable law.
A
majority of the members of the entire Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Committee shall act on the affirmative vote
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings and shall report regularly to the Board on its activities, as appropriate.
| IV. | Authority and Responsibilities |
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Committee shall:
| 1. | Review at least annually and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s compensation strategy and equity based plans to ensure it is appropriate to attract, retain and motivate senior management and other key employees. |
| 2. | Review at least annually and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the executive compensation, philosophy, policies and programs that in the Committee’s judgment support the Company’s overall business strategy and review and discuss, at least annually, the material risks associated with executive compensation structure, policies and programs to determine whether such structure, policies and programs encourage excessive risk-taking and to evaluate compensation policies and practices that could mitigate any such risk. |
| 3. | On an annual basis, review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Company’s CEO, evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of those goals and objectives and determine and approve CEO compensation based on this evaluation. In evaluating, determining and approving the long-term incentive component of CEO compensation, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the Company’s performance, shareholder returns, the value of similar incentive awards to executive officers at comparable companies, the value of similar awards given to other executive officers of the Company, the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act (the “Say-on-Pay Vote”) and the awards given to the executive officer in past years. The CEO shall not be present during voting or deliberations relating to his or her compensation. |
| 4. | On an annual basis, review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Company’s other executive officers, evaluate the executive officers’ performance in light of those goals and objectives and determine and make recommendations to the Board with respect to executive officer compensation based on this evaluation. In evaluating and making recommendations with respect to the long-term incentive component of executive officer compensation, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the Company’s performance, shareholder returns, the value of similar incentive awards to executive officers at comparable companies, the value of similar awards given to other executive officers of the Company, the results of the most recent Say-on-Pay Vote and the awards given to the executive officer in past years. No executive officer may be present during voting or deliberations relating to his or her compensation. |
| 5. | Review on an annual basis and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s incentive compensation, equity-based and pension plans, if any. With respect to each such plan, the Committee shall have responsibility for: |
| (a) | implementing and administering the plan; | |
| (b) | setting performance targets under all annual bonus and long-term incentive compensation plans as appropriate and committing to writing any and all performance targets for executive officers who may be “covered employees” under applicable laws and regulations; | |
| (c) | if called for by the plan, certifying that any and all performance targets used for any performance-based equity compensation plans have been met before payment of any executive bonus or compensation or exercise of any executive award granted under any such plans; | |
| (d) | approving all amendments to, and terminations of, all compensation plans and any awards under such plans; | |
| (e) | granting any awards under any performance-based annual bonus, long-term incentive compensation and equity compensation plans to executive officers or current employees with the potential to become the CEO or an executive officer, including share options and other equity rights (e.g., restricted shares and share purchase rights); | |
| (f) | approving which executive officers are entitled to awards under the Company’s share option plans; and |
| 2 |
| (g) | approving repurchases of securities from terminated employees. | |
| (h) | In reviewing the Company’s incentive compensation, equity-based and pension plans, the Committee may consider the plan’s administrative costs, current plan features relative to any proposed new features, the results of the most recent Say-on-Pay Vote and the performance of the plan’s internal and external administrators if any duties have been delegated. |
| 6. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval any employment agreement or compensatory transaction with an executive officer of the Company involving compensation in excess of $120,000 per year. |
| 7. | Establish and periodically review policies concerning perquisite benefits and approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefits arrangements for officers and employees of the Company and approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for officers and employees of the Company. |
| 8. | Determine and recommend to the Board for approval the Company’s policy with respect to change-of-control or “parachute” payments. In reviewing the Company’s policy with respect to change of control or “parachute” payments, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the results of the most recent Say-on-Pay Vote on “parachute” payments, if any. |
| 9. | Review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to executive officer and director indemnification and insurance matters. |
| 10. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval the compensation of directors for their service to the Board. Review, evaluate and recommend changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration of directors. |
| 11. | Approve compensation awards, including individual awards, as may be required to comply with applicable tax and state corporate laws. |
| 12. | Review the Company’s compensation disclosures in its annual proxy statement and its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and assist management in complying with proxy statement and annual report requirements. Review and discuss the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) with management and based on such review and discussion, determine whether to recommend to the Board that such compensation disclosures and CD&A be disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K or annual proxy statement filed with the SEC, as applicable. |
| 13. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval the frequency with which the Company will conduct Say-on-Pay Votes, taking into account the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on frequency of Say-on-Pay Votes required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act, and review and recommend to the Board for approval the proposals regarding the Say-on-Pay Vote and the frequency of the Say-on-Pay Vote to be included in the Company’s proxy statement filed with the SEC. |
| 14. | Prepare any report required by applicable rules and regulations or listing standards, including reports on executive compensation required by the SEC to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, or, if the Company does not file a proxy statement, in the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K with the SEC. |
| 15. | To the extent that the Company’s securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to Rule 10D-1 under the Exchange Act, the Committee shall review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s clawback policy and, with the assistance of management, advise the Board and any other Board committee if the clawback provisions of the Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change as well as the extent, if any, to which incentive-based compensation of the relevant executive officers should be reduced or extinguished. |
| 16. | Review, recommend to the Board, and administer all plans that require “disinterested administration” under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. |
| 17. | Review and assess the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend to the Board any changes deemed appropriate by the Committee. |
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| 18. | Review its own performance annually. |
| 19. | Report regularly to the Board. |
| 20. | Perform
any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of |
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Committee shall have sole discretion and authority with respect to any action regarding compensation payable to the Chief Executive Officer or other executive officers of the Company that the Committee intends to constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
| V. | Evaluation of the Committee |
The Committee shall, no less frequently than annually, evaluate its performance. In conducting this review, the Committee shall evaluate whether this Charter appropriately addresses the matters that are or should be within its scope and shall recommend such changes as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Committee shall address all matters that the Committee considers relevant to its performance, including at least the following: the adequacy, appropriateness and quality of the information and recommendations presented by the Committee to the Board, the manner in which they were discussed or debated, and whether the number and length of meetings of the Committee were adequate for the Committee to complete its work in a thorough and thoughtful manner.
The Committee shall deliver to the Board a report, which may be oral, setting forth the results of its evaluation, including any recommended amendments to this Charter and any recommended changes to the Company’s or the Board’s policies or procedures.
| VI. | Resources |
The Committee shall have the authority to retain or terminate, at its sole discretion, compensation consultants, independent legal counsel or other advisors (collectively, “Advisors”) to assist the Committee in its responsibilities and shall be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of such Advisors. Before retaining an Advisor (other than in-house legal counsel and any Advisor whose role is limited to consulting on broad-based, non-discriminatory plans or providing information that is not customized in particular for the Company (as described in Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K)), the Committee shall consider the independence of such Advisor, including any independence factors that it is required to consider by law or Nasdaq rules. Nothing herein requires a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser to be independent, only that the Committee consider the enumerated independence factors before selecting or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser. The Committee may select or receive advice from any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser it prefers, including ones that are not independent, after considering factors that the Committee may be required to consider by law or Nasdaq rules.
Nothing herein shall be construed: (1) to require the Committee to implement or act consistently with the advice or recommendations of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee; or (2) to affect the ability or obligation of the Committee to exercise its own judgment in fulfillment of its duties.
The chairperson of the Committee, at the request of any member of the Committee, may request that any officer, employee or advisor of the Company attend a meeting of the Committee or otherwise respond to Committee requests.
The Committee shall have the sole authority to determine the terms of engagement and the extent of funding necessary (and to be provided by the Company) for payment of compensation to any Advisors or other professionals retained to advise the Committee and ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.
| VII. | Amendments |
Any amendment or other modification of this Charter shall be made and approved by the full Board.
| VIII. | Disclosure of Charter |
If required by the rules of the SEC or Nasdaq, this Charter, as amended from time to time, shall be made available to the public on the Company’s website.
* * *
While the members of the Committee have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
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Exhibit 99.3
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by ARC Group Securities Acquisition I of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: June 25, 2026
| By: | /s/ Daniel A. Mace | |
| Name: | Daniel A. Mace |
Exhibit 99.4
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by ARC Group Securities Acquisition I of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: June 25, 2026
| By: | /s/ Patrik Hriczo | |
| Name: | Patrik Hriczo |
Exhibit 99.5
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by ARC Group Securities Acquisition I of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of ARC Group Securities Acquisition I in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: June 25, 2026
| By: | /s/ Jennifer Goforth | |
| Name: | Jennifer Goforth |