Global Gas Corp 10-K/A for FY2022
Global Gas Corp (HGAS)
About this 10-K/A
Global Gas Corp filed this 10-K/A on July 17, 2023, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (FY2022).
Headline figures
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as reported in this filing, compared with the same period a year earlier where the filing states it.
- Net income
- $6.56M
- up 18.3% from net income of $5.55M a year earlier
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Amendment No. 1)
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended
OR
For the transition period from ____________ to ____________
Commission File Number:
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| | ||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant | DUNEU | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||
| Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock, each at an exercise price of $11.50 per share | DUNEW | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a
well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not
required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405
of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
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. (Check one):
| 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 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s
common stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, at June 30, 2022, computed
by reference to the closing price for the common stock on such date, reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) on such
date, was approximately $
As of April 7,
2023, there were
Documents Incorporated by Reference: None.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Dune Acquisition Corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 to its Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (the “Amendment”) to amend its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 10, 2023 (the “Original Filing”), for the purpose of restating the net income in its Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 that was incorrectly reported due to a clerical error. This clerical error has been corrected in this Amendment. In accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99, Materiality, and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, the Company evaluated such error and has determined that the related impacts were material.
Pursuant to Rule 12b-15 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), this Amendment also contains new certifications by our chief executive officer and chief financial officer.
Except as described above, this Amendment does not amend, update or change any other items or disclosures contained in the Original Filing, and accordingly, this Amendment does not reflect or purport to reflect any information or events occurring after the original filing date or modify or update those disclosures affected by subsequent events. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Original Filing and the Company’s other filings with the SEC.
Table of Contents
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this annual report on Form 10-K/A 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 Form 10-K/A 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 the COVID-19 outbreak and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) on our ability to consummate an initial business combination or on the restaurant and hospitality related sectors; |
| ● | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition 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. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K/A 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 section of this Form 10-K/A entitled “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.
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PART I
References in this report to “we,” “us” or the “Company” refer to Dune Acquisition Corporation. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors.
Item 1. Business.
Introduction
We are a blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “business combination”). While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry or geographic region, we intend to focus on opportunities in the technology sector, particularly companies pursuing a Software as a Service (“SaaS”) model. We have reviewed, and continue to review, a number of opportunities to enter into a business combination, but we are not able to determine at this time whether we will complete a business combination with any of the target businesses that we have reviewed or with any other target business. We also have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, the Company is a “shell company” as defined under the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.
On December 22, 2020, we consummated our initial public offering (the “initial public offering”) of 17,250,000 units (the “units”), including the issuance of 2,250,000 units as a result of the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option in full. Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock (the “Class A common stock” or “public shares”) and one-half warrant (the “public warrants”), with each whole public warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock for $11.50 per share. The units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $172.5 million.
Simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale (the “private placement”) of an aggregate of 4,850,000 warrants (the “private placement warrants”, and together with the public warrants, the “warrants”) to Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC (the “Sponsor” or our “Sponsor”) at a purchase price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, generating gross proceeds of $4.85 million.
Prior to the consummation of the initial public offering, on July 10, 2020, we issued an aggregate of 3,737,500 shares (the “founder shares”) of our Class B common stock to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. On December 17, 2020, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (as amended on December 17, 2020 and June 14, 2022, our “amended and restated certificate of incorporation”), each of our founder shares outstanding immediately prior to December 17, 2020 were converted into one and two-thirteenths (12/13) founder shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding 4,312,500 founder shares.
A total of $172,500,000, comprised of $169,050,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering (which amount includes $6,037,500 of the underwriters’ deferred discount) and $3,450,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account (the “trust account”) at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.
We originally had up to 18 months from the closing of our initial public offering, or until June 22, 2022, to consummate an initial business combination. However, on June 14, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “Charter Amendment”) to extend the date by which the Company must complete a business combination from June 22, 2022 to December 22, 2023. In connection with the extension amendment, holders of an aggregate of 16,067,946 shares of Class A common stock exercised (and did not reverse) their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Company’s trust account. As a result, (i) approximately $160.7 million (approximately $10.00 per share) was removed from the trust account to pay such holders, (ii) approximately $11.8 million remained in the trust account and (iii) 5,494,554 shares of common stock remained outstanding (including 1,182,054 public shares and 4,312,500 founder shares). As of December 31, 2022, there was $11,970,547 in investments and cash held in the trust account, which includes interest income available to us for franchise and income tax obligations of approximately $150,000.
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Prior to December 2022, the funds held in the trust account were invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. On December 15, 2022, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company under the Investment Company Act, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash (i.e., in one or more interest-bearing demand deposit accounts) until the earlier of the consummation of a business combination or our liquidation. As of December 31, 2022, the funds in the trust account are held solely in an interest-bearing demand deposit account.
Proposed Business Combination with TradeZero
On October 12, 2021, we entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Dune Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and our direct wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), Dune Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and our direct, wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub II”), and TradeZero Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (“TradeZero”).
On April 1, 2022, the Company, along with Merger Sub, Merger Sub II and the Sponsor (collectively, the “Dune Plaintiffs”) filed a four-count complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against TradeZero and Messrs. Pipitone, Ferrara, Muscatella, Choi, Koslow, Caruso and Corriveau (together, the “TradeZero Defendants”), each of whom are part of TradeZero’s management team. The Dune Plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, fraudulent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment against the TradeZero Defendants. On May 3, 2022, after careful consideration and consultation with the Company’s management and outside legal advisors, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), who had previously unanimously endorsed and approved of the business combination with TradeZero, announced that it had changed its recommendation to the Company’s stockholders and then unanimously recommended that the Company’s stockholders vote against the business combination with TradeZero. On May 5, 2022, the TradeZero Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Dune Plaintiffs’ lawsuit; on July 8, 2022, the Company filed an amended complaint; and on July 22, 2022 TradeZero filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
On July 13, 2022, the Company received a notice from TradeZero that purported to terminate the Merger Agreement pursuant to Sections 10.01(c) and 10.01(i) thereof (the “Purported Termination Notice”). On July 15, 2022, the Company sent a letter to TradeZero in response to the Purported Termination Notice stating, among other things, that TradeZero is not permitted to terminate the Merger Agreement because of TradeZero’s breaches of, and failure to perform under, the Merger Agreement.
On December 28, 2022, the Dune Plaintiffs entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release (the “Settlement Agreement”) with the TradeZero Defendants, pursuant to which (i) the Company and TradeZero mutually agreed to terminate the Merger Agreement and (ii) the Dune Plaintiffs and the TradeZero Defendants agreed to a mutual release of all claims related to the Merger Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby, and the lawsuit filed by the Dune Plaintiffs against TradeZero Defendants in the Delaware Court of Chancery, in each case effective upon receipt in full by the Dune Plaintiffs from the insurers of the TradeZero Defendants of $5,000,000 in settlement consideration within 15 business days of the date of the Settlement Agreement, which the Company received in January 2023.
For additional information regarding the Merger Agreement and the Settlement Agreement, see the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 12, 2021, January 26, 2022, July 15, 2022 and December 30, 2022 and the Company’s preliminary proxy statement (as amended), initially filed with the SEC on January 26, 2022.
Our Business Strategy
We plan to utilize the network and industry experience of our management team in seeking an initial business combination and employing our acquisition strategy. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities. This network has been developed through our management team’s extensive experience in both investing in and operating companies across the software and Fintech verticals. We expect these networks will provide our management team with a robust flow of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, which may include investment market participants, private equity and venture capital groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises.
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Our management team possesses the following tools necessary to unlock such potential:
Expertise in growing successful software and Fintech companies: Our management team has demonstrated consistent prowess in building, investing, nurturing and leading software and Fintech companies across their corporate life cycle. We believe our management team can spot unique ideas and disruptive business models and grow them to scale by leveraging our operational expertise and networks.
Operational excellence: Our management team has significant hands-on experience helping technology companies optimize their existing and new growth initiatives by exploiting insights from rich data assets that already exist within most technology companies. Further, we intend to share best practices and key learnings, gathered from our operating and investment experience, as well as strong relationships in the technology sector, to help shape corporate strategies in an increasingly complex technology ecosystem.
Capital markets efficiency: Our management team believes that special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) are a more streamlined and transparent path to the public market and will encourage private companies, in the technology industry in particular, to go public. This will allow the company to remain operationally focused on long-term value creation while we leverage our capital raising acumen.
Maximizing the value of becoming a publicly traded entity: As a public entity, we believe we offer a wide range of advantages to stakeholders. These include but are not limited to: working with management and stockholders who aspire to have their company become a public entity and generate substantial growth; broader access to debt and equity providers; providing liquidity for employees and investors; a new currency for potential acquisitions; and enhancing and expanding branding in the marketplace.
We intend to communicate with our management team’s network, which includes private equity firms, venture capitalists, investment bankers and entrepreneurs, to articulate the parameters for our search for a target company and a potential business combination to pursue and review potential opportunities.
Business Combination Criteria
Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating initial business combination opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines.
| ● | Target Enterprise Value: We intend to target entities whose enterprise value is between $300 million and $1 billion. These companies have a domestic and international following, which we believe offers long-term risk-adjusted return potential; |
| ● | Focus: The software industry and Fintech sector are domains in which we have demonstrated accomplishments and “pattern recognition” knowledge. Our management team’s multifaceted expertise in assessing a target’s technology and their potential for disruption are key in evaluating business transaction candidates swiftly and adequately; |
| ● | Total Addressable Market: We intend to focus on investments that we believe present attractive prospects for both near-term and long-term secular market expansion. Companies should either have a sizable market share in their segment or operate in a largely greenfield market in order to be able to achieve market leadership. We also intend to seek companies in industries that are benefiting from strong macro tailwinds such that the markets in which they operate are constantly growing, ultimately driving a company’s ability to sustain strong revenue growth rates for years. They should also have defensible proprietary technology and intellectual property rights; |
| ● | Disciplined Organic Growth and Profitable Unit Economics: We intend to seek targets who have shown consistent organic revenue growth while also acquiring customers profitably over the long-term. We seek to find a company that has taken and will continue to take a balanced approach between growth and acquiring customers at a cost that can be recouped quickly while also driving customer lifetime value. Ability to generate continued strong organic growth as well as an ability to manage free cash flow are key characteristics of a target company; |
| ● | Management: We intend to seek companies with proven and accomplished management teams as we recognize they are the subject matter experts and proven drivers of the target business who may also be eager to benefit from our management team’s expertise. We intend to devote significant resources to analyzing and reaching alignment among a target’s management team and its stakeholders, a paramount element to successful execution of any business plan; |
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| ● | Operational Maturity: We intend to select companies with IPO-ready infrastructure, including the requisite compliance, financial controls and reporting processes in place needed for the regulatory constraints of a public entity; |
| ● | Benefit from Being Public: We are committed to working with management and shareholders who aspire to have their company become a public entity and generate substantial wealth creation. The benefits of transitioning from a private to a public entity may include a broader access to debt and equity providers, liquidity for employees and potential acquisitions, and expanded branding in the marketplace; |
| ● | Appropriate Valuations: We are rigorous, disciplined, and valuation-centric investors, with a keen understanding of market value. We expect to enter a business combination only if it pairs significant upside potential with limited downside risks. |
| ● | Stable, Recurring Revenue: We intend to target companies that operate a Software as a Service model, generating subscription revenue with annual or multi-year contracts; |
| ● | Opportunity for Strategic or Operational Enhancement: We intend to leverage our team’s expertise and extensive networks in the software industry to drive ongoing value creation. We intend to seek management teams with the interest and ability to execute on accretive strategic opportunities, including acquisitions of companies that enhance shareholder value; |
| ● | Strong Barriers to Entry with Defensible Market Position: We intend to select a target that has defensible proprietary technology and intellectual property rights or a first mover advantage. The target should also have embedded characteristics to support continued pricing power of its products; |
| ● | High Customer Retention Rates: We intend to acquire a target that has a stable and growing customer base with long-term subscription-based revenues, minimal churn and the ability to up-sell and cross-sell expansions with its existing customers; |
| ● | Strong Gross Margin Profile and Potential for High Cash Flow Conversion: We intend to acquire a target with an efficient cost structure and strong gross margin profile representative of a product company operating with a multi-tenant architecture; |
| ● | Low asset intensity: We intend to select a target with limited capital expenditure needs (including software development expenses) relative to its revenues and operating earnings; |
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 team may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we would file with the SEC. 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, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us.
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. We will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
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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. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash held in the trust account, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A common stock, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
Although we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business or industry, we intend to focus on opportunities in the technology sector, particularly companies pursuing a Software as a Service, or SaaS, model. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prohibits us from entering into an initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations.
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes 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 which is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or a valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not 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 the particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If 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.
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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, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us.
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.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with the Sponsor, executive officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm stating that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account 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 and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account was $11,850,672.99 as of March 15, 2023, which is approximately $10.02 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by any deferred underwriting commissions. The initial stockholders, Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) without a stockholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder 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 stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding Class A common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s stockholder approval rules.
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The requirement that we provide our public stockholders 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 certificate of incorporation and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.
If we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a stockholder meeting, we will (a) 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 (b) file proxy materials with the SEC.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the Company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and, the Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares they hold and any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a stockholder on the record date for the stockholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their 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 public shares or public warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making 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. We expect any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
The purpose of any such purchases of public shares could be to vote such public shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation: (a) conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and (b) file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
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Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, the Sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
We initially had until June 22, 2022 to consummate our initial business combination. On June 14, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved the Charter Amendment to extend the date by which the Company must complete a business combination from June 22, 2022 to December 22, 2023. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023.
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 greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Employees
We currently have two executive officers: Carter Glatt and Michael Castaldy. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Available Information
We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events in a Current Report on Form 8-K. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us in writing at 700 S. Rosemary Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 or by telephone at (917) 742-1904.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this Form 10-K/A, 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.
Risk Factor Summary
| ● | 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 stockholders 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 stockholders do not support such a combination. |
| ● | Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash. |
| ● | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote. |
| ● | The ability of our public stockholders 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 stockholders 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. |
| ● | The requirement that we complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 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 stockholders. |
| ● | Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets. |
| ● | We may not be able to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate. |
| ● | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the Sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A common stock. |
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| ● | If a stockholder 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. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies. |
| ● | 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 stockholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless. |
| ● | If the net proceeds of the initial public offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least until December 22, 2023, 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 the Sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination. | |
| ● | This Annual Report on Form 10-K/A contains disclosure that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.” |
| ● | Past performance by our management team and their affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us. |
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Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial stockholders will receive additional Class A common stock if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination. |
| ● | We identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 and may identify additional material weaknesses in the future that may cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements of our consolidated financial statements. |
Risks Relating to our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks
Our stockholders 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 stockholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Except for as required by applicable law or stock exchange requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders 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 stockholder approval. Even if we seek stockholder 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 a majority of our public stockholders do not approve of the business combination we complete.
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Your only opportunity to affect the 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 stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the 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 stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
Involvement of members of our management and companies with which they are affiliated in litigation unrelated to our business affairs could impact our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
Members of our management team and companies with which they are affiliated may be involved in litigation relating to their business affairs unrelated to our company. For example, on August 18, 2020, dMY Technology Group, Inc. (“dMY Technology”) and dMY Sponsor, LLC (“dMY Sponsor” and together with dMY Technology, “dMY”) filed an action in New York State court against Carter Glatt, our Chief Executive Officer, and Captains Neck Holdings, LLC (the “Defendants”), seeking a declaratory judgment regarding the Defendants’ entitlement to certain LLC units in dMY Sponsor. On September 14, 2020, dMY, along with GTY Technology Holdings, Inc. (“GTY” and together with dMY, the “Plaintiffs”), filed an amended complaint, adding allegations of theft and misappropriation of confidential information, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties and conversion. None of such claims were asserted against the company or the Sponsor. On October 5, 2020, the Defendants filed an answer denying all of the Plaintiffs’ claims, and asserting counterclaims against the Plaintiffs and against Harry You, the co-founder and former President and Chief Financial Officer of GTY and the Chairman of dMY Technology, including claims for fraudulent misrepresentation, tortious interference and unjust enrichment. On December 8, 2020, the Defendants and the Sponsor filed amended counterclaims against the Plaintiffs and against dMY Technology Group, Inc. II and its Sponsor, dMY Technology Group, Inc. III and its Sponsor and Niccolo de Masi, the Chief Executive Officer of dMY Technology, alleging breach of contract, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment. On March 1, 2021, a stipulation was filed discontinuing all claims asserted by or against GTY. Such claims, and any other litigation unrelated to our business affairs involving members of our management, may be detrimental to our reputation and could negatively affect our ability to identify and complete an initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Our initial stockholders own 20% of our outstanding common stock. Our initial stockholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A common stock prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, if we seek stockholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares voted at such meeting, including the founder shares. Our initial stockholders will count toward this quorum and pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, representing 78.5% of the 5,494,554 shares of common stock outstanding in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, we would not need any public shares voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders and management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.
The ability of our public stockholders 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 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 stockholders 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. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or make us unable to satisfy a minimum cash 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 stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many stockholders 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 is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B common stock results in the issues of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the shares of Class B common stock at the time of our initial business combination. The per share amount we will distribute to stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by any deferred underwriting commission. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.
The ability of our public stockholders 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 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 by December 22, 2023 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 stockholders.
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 by December 22, 2023. 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.
Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” The COVID-19 outbreak has and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continues to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
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In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.
We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023. 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, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case, to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the Sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A common stock.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the Nasdaq rules. However, other than as expressly stated herein, 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 or public warrants in such transactions. Such purchases may include a contractual acknowledgment that such stockholder, 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 the Sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. We expect any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
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If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such stockholder 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 stockholders 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 stock 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 date on which the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination is to be held. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. In the event that a stockholder 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.
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 stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ 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 by December 22, 2023, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if our plan to redeem our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination by December 22, 2023 is not completed for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond 36 months from the closing of the initial public offering before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder 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.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that had not been previously selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 and have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if the initial public offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination.
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If we seek stockholder 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 stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 20% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% of our Class A common stock.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in the initial public offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. 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 20% 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 stockholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar or greater technical, human and other resources to ours or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a stockholder 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 stockholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
If the net proceeds of the initial public offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least until December 22, 2023, 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 the Sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of the initial public offering, only $750,000 were available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that the funds available to us outside of the trust account are sufficient to allow us to operate for at least until December 22, 2023; 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.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues that may be present with a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrantholders who choose to remain stockholders or warrantholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrantholders 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 materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K/A contains disclosure that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $300 in cash and working capital of approximately $1.7 million (excluding tax obligations of approximately $205,000 that may be paid using investment income earned from the trust account). Further, we expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our plans to consummate our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 may not be successful. If a business combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the liquidity condition and mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should we be required to liquidate after December 22, 2023. We intend to complete the proposed business combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to consummate any business combination by December 22, 2023.
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 stockholders 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 (except for the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, 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. The underwriters of the initial public offering as well as our registered independent public accounting firm 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 public stockholders 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 Form 10-K/A forms a part, the 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, 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 the initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we 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 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 the Sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per 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 the Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against the Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against the 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 our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders 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 stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’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 stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy 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 stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
A new 1% U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with redemptions by us of our shares or our liquidation.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”), which, among other things, imposes a new 1% U.S. federal excise tax on certain repurchases of stock by “covered corporations” (which include publicly traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations) beginning in 2023, with certain exceptions (the “Excise Tax”). The Excise Tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its stockholders from which the stock is repurchased. Because we are a Delaware corporation and our securities are trading on Nasdaq, we are a “covered corporation” for this purpose. The amount of the Excise Tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the Excise Tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the Excise Tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the Excise Tax. Any share redemption or other share repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022 in connection with an initial business combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the Excise Tax. Whether and to what extent we would be subject to the Excise Tax on a redemption of our shares of Class A common stock or other stock issued by us would depend on a number of factors, including (i) whether the redemption is treated as a repurchase of stock for purposes of the Excise Tax, (ii) the fair market value of the redemption treated as a repurchase of stock in connection with our initial business combination, an extension or otherwise (iii) the structure of the initial business combination, (iv) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with the initial business combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with the initial business combination but issued within the same taxable year of a redemption treated as a repurchase of stock) and (v) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. As noted above, the Excise Tax would be payable by us, and not by the redeeming holder. The imposition of the Excise Tax could cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete an initial business combination or for effecting redemptions and may affect our ability to complete an initial business combination. In addition, the Excise Tax could cause a reduction in the per share amount payable to our public stockholders in the event we liquidate the trust account due to a failure to complete an initial business combination within the requisite timeframe.
On December 27, 2022, the Treasury published Notice 2023-2, which provided clarification on some aspects of the application of the Excise Tax. The notice generally provides that if a publicly traded U.S. corporation completely liquidates and dissolves, distributions in such complete liquidation and other distributions by such corporation in the same taxable year in which the final distribution in complete liquidation and dissolution is made are not subject to the Excise Tax. Although such notice clarifies certain aspects of the Excise Tax, the interpretation and operation of aspects of the Excise Tax (including its application and operation with respect to SPACs) remain unclear and such interim operating rules are subject to change.
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Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 18th month from the closing of the initial public offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.
Because we do not comply with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.
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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 the initial public 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 Form 10-K/A 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 stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders 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 stockholders 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 stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder 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 stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from a valuation or appraisal firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our stockholders 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 which is a member of FINRA or from a valuation or appraisal firm that the price we are paying is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders 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.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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. 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.
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 stockholders or warrantholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder 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 the Sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock 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 in connection with such initial business combination, all shares of Class A common stock 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 certificate of incorporation or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.
In order to effectuate a business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, special purpose acquisition companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, and 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 placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 50% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ 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 certificate of incorporation 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 at least 65% of our outstanding common stock, 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 certificate of incorporation to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of the initial public offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. Our initial stockholders, who collectively beneficially own 20% of our outstanding common stock, may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 certificate of incorporation 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 stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
The Sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to written agreements with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against the Sponsor, executive officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
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.
If the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public stockholders, 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 stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
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Our initial stockholders control a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Our initial stockholders own 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If our initial stockholders purchase any additional Class A common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our initial stockholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by the Sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a terms for three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect 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 meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons 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 stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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 Delaware law.
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We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target 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 stockholders or warrantholders who choose to remain stockholders or warrantholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrantholders 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.
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; |
| ● | unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; |
| ● | challenges in managing and staffing international operations; |
| ● | longer payment cycles; |
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| ● | tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
| ● | currency fluctuations and exchange controls; |
| ● | rates of inflation; |
| ● | challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
| ● | cultural and language differences; |
| ● | employment regulations; |
| ● | underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems; |
| ● | corruption; |
| ● | protection of intellectual property; |
| ● | social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances; |
| ● | regime changes and political upheaval; |
| ● | terrorist attacks and wars; 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 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 stockholders’ investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of the Original Filing to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following the initial public offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We and our officers have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
| ● | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
| ● | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
| ● | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
| ● | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
| ● | our inability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock; |
| ● | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
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| ● | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
| ● | 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. |
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $11,970,547 in investments and cash held in the trust account that we may use to complete our initial business combination (which amount includes interest income available to us for franchise and income tax obligations of approximately $150,000).
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 consolidated 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.
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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.
Risks Relating to the Sponsor and Management Team
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.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive 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 executive 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 executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Since the Sponsor, executive officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after the initial public offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On July 10, 2020, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 3,737,500 founder shares for a purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.007 per share. On December 17, 2020, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, each founder share outstanding immediately prior to December 17, 2020 was converted into one and two-thirteenths (12/13) founder shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding 4,312,500 founder shares. 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 founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 4,850,000 private placement warrants, each exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,850,000, or $1.00 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination within the allocated time period. The personal and financial interests of our executive 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 18-month anniversary of the closing of the initial public offering nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.
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Our executive 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 executive 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 executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive 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 executive 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.
Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation. In addition, the 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. Any such companies, businesses or ventures may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our executive 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, executive 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 the Sponsor, our directors or executive officers, 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.
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 stockholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Delaware law and we or our stockholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our stockholders’ rights. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
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We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of the Sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. The 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 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 which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Our management may not 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 stockholders 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 stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of Class A common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock 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 shares of Class A common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding Class A common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders 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 maintain control of the target business.
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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Risks Relating to our Securities
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
| ● | restrictions on the nature of our investments; and |
| ● | restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including: |
| ● | registration as an investment company with the SEC; |
| ● | adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
| ● | reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations that we are not subject to. |
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. On December 15, 2022, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company under the Investment Company Act, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash (i.e., in one or more interest-bearing demand deposit accounts) until the earlier of the consummation of a business combination or our liquidation. As of December 31, 2022, the funds in the trust account are held solely in an interest-bearing demand deposit account. 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. The initial public offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023; and (iii) absent an initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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If we are deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may be forced to abandon our efforts to complete an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. To mitigate the risk of that result, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to liquidate the securities held in the trust account and instead hold all funds in the trust account in cash. As a result, following such change, we will likely receive minimal, if any, interest, on the funds held in the trust account, which will reduce the dollar amount that our public shareholders would have otherwise received upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company if the assets in the trust account had remained in U.S. government securities or money market funds.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”), relating, among other things, to circumstances in which SPACs such as us could potentially be subject to the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. The SPAC Rule Proposals would provide a safe harbor for such companies from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that a SPAC satisfies certain criteria. To comply with the duration limitation of the proposed safe harbor, a SPAC would have a limited time period to announce and complete a de-SPAC transaction. Specifically, to comply with the safe harbor, the SPAC Rule Proposals would require a company to file a report on Form 8-K announcing that it has entered into an agreement with a target company for an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement for its initial public offering. The company would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months, after the effective date of the registration statement for its initial public offering. We understand that the SEC has recently been taking informal positions regarding the Investment Company Act consistent with the SPAC Rule Proposals.
There is currently uncertainty concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC, including a company like ours, that does not complete its initial business combination within the proposed time frame set forth in the proposed safe harbor rule. If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we might be forced to abandon our efforts to complete an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. If we are required to liquidate the Company, our investors would not be able to realize the benefits of owning shares in a successor operating business, including the potential appreciation in the value of our shares and warrants following such a transaction, and our warrants would expire worthless.
The funds in the trust account were, since our initial public offering until December 2022, held only 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. As of December 31, 2022, amounts held in trust account included approximately $363,366 of accrued interest. On December 15, 2022, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company under the Investment Company Act, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash (i.e., in one or more interest-bearing demand deposit accounts) until the earlier of the consummation of a business combination or our liquidation. As of December 31, 2022, the funds in the trust account are held solely in an interest-bearing demand deposit account. Following such liquidation of the assets in our trust account, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the trust account, which will reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would have otherwise received upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company if the assets in the trust account had remained in U.S. government securities or money market funds. This means that the amount available for redemption will not increase in the future.
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Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
Our units, Class A common stock and public warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq. Although, after giving effect to our initial public offering, we met the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the 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. For example, on January 9, 2023, the Company received a notice from Nasdaq indicating that the Company was deficient in meeting the requirements of Listing Rule 5620(a), which requires the Company to hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of the Company’s 2021 fiscal year-end. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2)(G), the Company has submitted a plan to regain compliance and, if Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq may grant the Company up to 180 calendar days from its fiscal year end, or until June 29, 2023, to regain compliance. While the plan is pending, the Company’s securities will continue to trade on Nasdaq. However, we cannot provide any assurance that Nasdaq will accept the Company’s compliance plan or that we will be able to implement the compliance plan in a timely manner, if at all.
On March 24, 2023, the Company received a notice from the staff of Nasdaq indicating that, for the previous 30 consecutive business days, the minimum Market Value of Listed Securities (“MVLS”) for the Company’s Class A common stock was below the $35 million minimum MVLS requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “MLVS Rule”). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), the Company will have 180 calendar days, or until September 20, 2023, to regain compliance with the MVLS Rule. To regain compliance with the MLVS Rule, the MVLS for the Company’s ordinary shares must be at least $35 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days at any time during this 180-day period. If the Company regains compliance with the MLVS Rule, Nasdaq will provide the Company with written confirmation and will close the matter. If the Company does not regain compliance with the rule by September 20, 2023, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Company’s Class A common stock will be delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market. In the event of such notification, the Nasdaq rules permit the Company an opportunity to appeal Nasdaq’s determination. The Company is monitoring the MLVS of its Class A common stock and will consider options available to it to potentially achieve compliance.
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 amount in stockholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with 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, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round lot holders (with at least 50% of such round lot holders holding securities with a market value of at least $2,500) of our securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
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 common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A common stock 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. |
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The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because our units, Class A common stock and public warrants are listed on Nasdaq, we expect that our units, Class A common stock and public 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.
We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the founder shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of December 31, 2022, there were 378,817,946 and 15,687,500 authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount (in the case of the Class A common stock) does not take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the founder shares. The Class B common stock is automatically convertible into Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Immediately after the initial public offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon 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 as set forth therein. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, 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 our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 36 months from the closing of the initial public offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in the initial public offering; |
| ● | may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A common stock if shares of preferred stock are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A common stock; |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of Class A common stock is 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; and |
| ● | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants. |
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You will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the underlying Class A common stock or certain exemptions are available.
If the issuance of the Class A common stock 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 common stock included in the units.
We are not registering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock 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 consolidated financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order.
If the shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock 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, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities (other than upon a cashless exercise as described above) or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.
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 shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock is 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 shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our shares of Class A common stock (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 shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
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The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders and holders of our private placement warrants may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our shares of Class A common stock.
Our initial stockholders, the holders of our private placement warrants, the holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of funds that the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan as necessary (the “working capital loans”) and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the shares of Class A common stock into which founder shares are convertible, the private placement warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants or the Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans 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 common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders 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 common stock that is expected when the shares of common stock owned by our initial stockholders, holders of our private placement warrants or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial stockholders will receive additional shares of Class A common stock if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. This is different than some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies in which the initial stockholders will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to our initial business combination.
Certain agreements related to the initial public offering may be amended without stockholder approval.
Each of the agreements related to the initial public offering to which we are a party, other than the warrant agreement and the investment management trust agreement, may be amended without stockholder approval. Such agreements are: the underwriting agreement; the letter agreement among us and our initial stockholders, Sponsor, officers and directors; the registration rights agreement among us and our initial stockholders; the private placement warrants purchase agreement between us and the Sponsor; and the administrative services agreement among us, the Sponsor and an affiliate of the Sponsor. These agreements contain various provisions that our public stockholders might deem to be material. For example, our letter agreement and the underwriting agreement contain certain lock-up provisions with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants and other securities held by our initial stockholders, Sponsor, officers and directors. Amendments to such agreements would require the consent of the applicable parties thereto and would need to be approved by our board of directors, which may do so for a variety of reasons, including to facilitate our initial business combination. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement. Any amendment entered into in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to such initial business combination, and any other material amendment to any of our material agreements will be disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Any such amendments would not require approval from our stockholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. For example, amendments to the lock-up provision discussed above may result in our initial stockholders selling their securities earlier than they would otherwise be permitted, which may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
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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 shares of Class A common stock 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 Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder 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 stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
Our warrant agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrantholders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of the forum provisions of 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 warrantholder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrantholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrantholder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrantholder’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.
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A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike most blank check companies, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock 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 share of Class A common stock (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 stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial stockholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (the “Newly Issued Price”) (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A common stock 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 ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met. 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. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. 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 substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by their initial purchasers or its permitted transferees.
Our warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of Class A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We issued warrants to purchase 8,625,000 shares of our Class A common stock as part of the units sold in the initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we issued in a private placement an aggregate of 4,850,000 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. In addition, if the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors makes any working capital loans, such lender may convert those loans into up to an additional 1,500,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.00 per warrant. To the extent we issue common stock to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock and reduce the value of the Class A common stock issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because each unit contains one-half of one public warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other special purpose acquisition companies.
Each unit contains one-half of one public warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the warrantholder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one common share and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-half of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
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Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our shares of Class A common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions 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.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Additionally, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal courts shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputed with us and may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.
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 under the laws of the State of Delaware with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through the initial public 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. 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 and their affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team’s or businesses associated with them is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team 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 locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of the performance of our management team or businesses associated with them as indicative of our future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or is likely to, generate going forward.
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us or the target businesses with which we seek to engage in an initial business combination 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.
In addition, we seek to engage in a business combination with target businesses that primarily focus on travel and travel technology and which are particularly susceptible to cyber incidents, breaches of security and personal customer data. Such travel-related businesses typically collect and retain large volumes of sensitive data, including credit card numbers and other personal information as such information is entered into, processed, summarized, and reported by the various information systems the target businesses use. The integrity and protection of that data is critical to these businesses and their reputation, and any cybersecurity breach, threat or attack on these systems during or after entering into a business combination with could have a material adverse impact on our business or results of operations.
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. 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.
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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 stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders 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 common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our consolidated financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible. Our status as a smaller reporting company is determined annually. We will continue to qualify as a smaller reporting company through the following fiscal year as long as (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates (measured as of the end of the second quarter of the then current fiscal year) does not exceed $250 million or (ii) our annual revenues for the most recently completed fiscal year do not exceed $100 million and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates (measured as of the end of the second quarter of the then current fiscal year) does not exceed $700 million. If we exceed these thresholds, we will cease to be a smaller reporting company as of the first day of the following fiscal year.
Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of our warrants could have a material effect on our financial results.
Included on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 contained elsewhere in this Form 10-K/A are derivative liabilities related to our warrants. Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the consolidated statements of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our consolidated financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly, based on factors, which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non-cash gains or losses on our warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, potential targets may seek a special purpose acquisition company that does not have warrants that are accounted for as liability, which may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
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We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to adversely affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our management is likewise required, on a quarterly basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose any changes and material weaknesses identified through such evaluation in those internal controls. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
As described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company’s management has concluded that our control around the interpretation and accounting for extinguishment of a significant contingent obligation was not effectively designed or maintained. This material weakness resulted in the restatement of the Company’s interim financial statements for the quarters ended June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022.
To respond to this material weakness, we have devoted significant effort and resources to the remediation and improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. Following the closing of the business combination, the combined company intends to take steps to remediate this material weakness, including plans to enhance processes to better evaluate our research and understanding of the nuances of the complex accounting standards that apply to our consolidated financial statements, enhance access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increase communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects. For a discussion of management’s consideration of the material weakness identified and subsequent remediation plan, see “Part II, Item 9A: Controls and Procedures” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.
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Any failure to maintain such internal control could adversely impact our ability to report our financial position and results from operations on a timely and accurate basis. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In either case, there could result a material adverse effect on our business. Ineffective internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
We can give no assurance that any additional material weaknesses or restatements of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. In addition, even if we are successful in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our financial statements.
We may face litigation and other risks as a result of the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting.
As discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, we identified a material weakness in our internal control around the interpretation and accounting for extinguishment of a significant contingent obligation. This material weakness resulted in the restatement of the Company’s interim financial statements for the quarters ended June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022.
As a result of such material weakness and the prior restatement of our financial statements, we face potential for litigation or other disputes which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the restatement and material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements. As of the date of the Original Filing, we have no knowledge of any such litigation or dispute. However, we can provide no assurance that such litigation or dispute will not arise in the future. Any such litigation or dispute, whether successful or not, could have a material adverse effect on the business of the combined company and its results of operations and financial condition.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
Item 2. Properties.
Our executive offices are located at 700 S. Rosemary Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Our executive offices are provided to us by the Sponsor and we have agreed to pay such affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us or any of our officers or directors in their corporate capacity.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our units, Class A common stock and warrants are traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “DUNEU,” “DUNE” and “DUNEW,” respectively.
Holders
As of December 31, 2022, there were one holder of record of our units, one holder of record of our Class A common stock and two holders of record of our warrants.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Offerings
None.
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
References to “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company” are to Dune Acquisition Corporation, except where the context requires otherwise. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K/A includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Form 10-K/A. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in our other SEC filings.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on June 18, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Our Sponsor is Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
The registration statement for our initial public offering became effective on December 17, 2020. On December 22, 2020, we consummated the initial public offering of 17,250,000 units, including 2,250,000 additional units to cover the over-allotment units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $172.5 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $10.0 million, inclusive of approximately $6.0 million in deferred underwriting commissions.
Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the private placement of 4,850,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant to our Sponsor, generating proceeds of approximately $4.9 million.
Upon the closing of the initial public offering and the private placement, $172.5 million ($10.00 per unit) of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and certain of the proceeds of the private placement was held in the trust account, located in the United States, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and until December 2022 were invested only in U.S. “government securities,” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a business combination and (ii) the distribution of the trust account as described below. On December 15, 2022, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company under the Investment Company Act, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in cash (i.e., in one or more interest-bearing demand deposit accounts) until the earlier of the consummation of a business combination or our liquidation. As of December 31, 2022, there was $11,970,547 in investments and cash held in the trust account, which includes interest income available to us for franchise and income tax obligations of approximately $150,000. As of December 31, 2022, the funds in the trust account are held solely in an interest-bearing demand deposit account.
If we are unable to complete a business combination within 36 months from the closing of the initial public offering, or December 22, 2023, (the “Combination Period”) and our stockholders have not amended the Certificate of Incorporation to further extend such Combination Period, we will (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
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June 2022 Extension Special Meeting of Stockholders
On June 14, 2022, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”). At the Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the Charter Amendment to extend the date by which the Company must complete a business combination from June 22, 2022 to December 22, 2023.
In connection with the Company’s Special Meeting, stockholders holding 16,409,033 public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, which would have resulted in (i) approximately $164.1 million (approximately $10.00 per share) being removed from the trust account to pay such holders, (ii) approximately $8.4 million remaining in the trust account and (iii) 5,153,467 shares of common stock outstanding (including 840,967 public shares and 4,312,500 founder shares).
On June 15 and 16, 2022, the Company consented to requests to reverse the redemptions of an aggregate of 341,087 public shares. As a result of such redemption reversals, (i) stockholders holding an aggregate of 16,067,946 public shares exercised and have not reversed their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, (ii) approximately $160.7 million (approximately $10.00 per share) was removed from the trust account to pay such holders, (iii) approximately $11.8 million remained in the trust account and (iv) 5,494,554 shares of common stock remained outstanding (including 1,182,054 public shares and 4,312,500 founder shares).
Proposed Business Combination with TradeZero
On October 12, 2021, we entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Dune Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and our direct wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), Dune Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and our direct, wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub II”), and TradeZero Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (“TradeZero”).
On April 1, 2022, the Company, along with Merger Sub, Merger Sub II and the Sponsor (collectively, the “Dune Plaintiffs”) filed a four-count complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against TradeZero and Messrs. Pipitone, Ferrara, Muscatella, Choi, Koslow, Caruso and Corriveau (together, the “TradeZero Defendants”), each of whom are part of TradeZero’s management team. The Dune Plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, fraudulent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment against the TradeZero Defendants. On May 3, 2022, after careful consideration and consultation with the Company’s management and outside legal advisors, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), who had previously unanimously endorsed and approved of the business combination with TradeZero, announced that it had changed its recommendation to the Company’s stockholders and then unanimously recommended that the Company’s stockholders vote against the business combination with TradeZero. On May 5, 2022, the TradeZero Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Dune Plaintiffs’ lawsuit; on July 8, 2022, the Company filed an amended complaint; and on July 22, 2022 TradeZero filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
On July 13, 2022, the Company received a notice from TradeZero that purported to terminate the Merger Agreement pursuant to Sections 10.01(c) and 10.01(i) thereof (the “Purported Termination Notice”). On July 15, 2022, the Company sent a letter to TradeZero in response to the Purported Termination Notice stating, among other things, that TradeZero is not permitted to terminate the Merger Agreement because of TradeZero’s breaches of, and failure to perform under, the Merger Agreement.
On December 28, 2022, the Dune Plaintiffs entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release (the “Settlement Agreement”) with the TradeZero Defendants, pursuant to which (i) the Company and TradeZero mutually agreed to terminate the Merger Agreement and (ii) the Dune Plaintiffs and the TradeZero Defendants agreed to a mutual release of all claims related to the Merger Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby, and the lawsuit filed by the Dune Plaintiffs against TradeZero Defendants in the Delaware Court of Chancery, in each case effective upon receipt in full by the Dune Plaintiffs from the insurers of the TradeZero Defendants of $5,000,000 in settlement consideration within 15 business days of the date of the Settlement Agreement, which the Company received in January 2023.
For additional information regarding the Merger Agreement and the Settlement Agreement, see the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 12, 2021, January 26, 2022, July 15, 2022 and December 30, 2022 and the Company’s preliminary proxy statement (as amended), initially filed with the SEC on January 26, 2022.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources and Going Concern
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $300 in our operating bank account and working capital of approximately $1.7 million (excluding tax obligations of approximately $295,000 that may be paid using investment income earned from the trust account).
Our liquidity needs prior to the consummation of the initial public offering were satisfied through the payment of $25,000 from the Sponsor to purchase founders shares (as defined below), and loan proceeds from the Sponsor of approximately $31,000 under the Note. We repaid the loan in full on December 22, 2020. Subsequent from the consummation of the initial public offering, our liquidity has been satisfied through the net proceeds from the consummation of the initial public offering and the private placement (as defined below) held outside of the trust account. In addition, the Company’s portion of the settlement of lawsuit in the amount of $2.75 million was received in January 2023.
In connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASU 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” the Company has until December 22, 2023 to consummate a business combination. It is uncertain that we will be able to consummate a business combination by this time. Management has determined that the liquidity condition, mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management intends to complete a business combination prior to the liquidation date.
On June 14, 2022, the Company held the Special Meeting. At the Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the Charter Amendment to extend the date by which the Company must complete a business combination from June 22, 2022 to December 22, 2023.
In connection with the Company’s Special Meeting, stockholders holding 16,409,033 public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, which would have resulted in (i) approximately $164.1 million (approximately $10.00 per share) being removed from the trust account to pay such holders, (ii) approximately $8.4 million remaining in the trust account and (iii) 5,153,467 shares of common stock outstanding (including 840,967 public shares and 4,312,500 founder shares.
On June 15 and 16, 2022, the Company consented to requests to reverse the redemptions of an aggregate of 341,087 public shares. As a result of such redemption reversals, (i) stockholders holding an aggregate of 16,067,946 public shares exercised and have not reversed their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, (ii) approximately $160.7 million (approximately $10.00 per share) was removed from the trust account to pay such holders, (iii) approximately $11.8 million remained in the trust account and (iv) 5,494,554 shares of common stock remained outstanding (including 1,182,054 public shares and 4,312,500 founder shares).
No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should we be required to liquidate after December 22, 2023. We intend to complete the proposed business combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to consummate any business combination by December 22, 2023.
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that the specific impact is not readily determinable as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus. Further, the impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy are not determinable as of the date of these financial statements and the specific impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these financial statements.
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On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the IR Act, which, among other things, imposes the Excise Tax. The Excise Tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its stockholders from which the stock is repurchased. Because we are a Delaware corporation and our securities are trading on Nasdaq, we are a “covered corporation” for this purpose. The amount of the Excise Tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the Excise Tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year.
On December 27, 2022, the Treasury published Notice 2023-2, which provided clarification on some aspects of the application of the Excise Tax. The notice generally provides that if a publicly traded U.S. corporation completely liquidates and dissolves, distributions in such complete liquidation and other distributions by such corporation in the same taxable year in which the final distribution in complete liquidation and dissolution is made are not subject to the Excise Tax. Although such notice clarifies certain aspects of the Excise Tax, the interpretation and operation of aspects of the Excise Tax (including its application and operation with respect to SPACs) remain unclear and such interim operating rules are subject to change.
Results of Operations
Our entire activity since inception through December 31, 2022 related to our formation, the preparation for the initial public offering, and since the closing of the initial public offering, the search for a prospective initial business combination. We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. 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 earned on cash equivalents held in trust account. 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.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net income of approximately $6.7 million, which consisted of approximately $6.5 million in non-operating gain from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities, approximately $288,000 in non-operating gain from the forgiveness of deferred underwriting commissions, $2.8 million in non-operating gain from the settlement with TradeZero and approximately $363,000 in income on investments held in Trust Account, partially offset by approximately $2.9 million in general and administrative expenses, $120,000 in general and administrative expenses - related party, approximately $200,000 in franchise tax expenses and approximately $7,000 in income tax expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we had a net income of approximately $5.5 million, which consisted of approximately $8.0 million in non-operating gain from changes in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $110,000 in income on investments held in the trust account, partially offset by approximately $2.2 million in general and administrative expenses, $120,000 in general and administrative expenses - related party, and approximately $204,000 in franchise tax.
Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On July 10, 2020, the Sponsor purchased 3,737,500 founder shares for an aggregate price of $25,000. On December 17, 2020, pursuant to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation, each founder share outstanding immediately prior to December 17, 2020 was converted into one and two-thirteenths (12/13) founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares outstanding. Our initial stockholders agreed to forfeit up to 562,500 founder shares to the extent that the over-allotment option was not exercised in full by the underwriters, so that the founder shares would represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after the initial public offering. The underwriter exercised its over-allotment option in full on December 22, 2020; thus, these 562,500 founder shares were no longer subject to forfeiture.
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Our initial stockholders agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the founder shares until the earlier to occur of (A) one year after the completion of the initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to the initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial business combination, and (B) the date following the completion of the initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.
Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the private placement of 4,850,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant to the Sponsor, generating proceeds of $4,850,000. Each private placement warrant is exercisable for one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants to the Sponsor was added to the proceeds from the initial public offering to be held in the trust account such that at closing of the initial public offering, $172,500,000 was placed in the trust account.
The private placement warrants (including the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) are not transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of the initial business combination and they are non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units sold in the initial public offering. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants sold as part of the Units in the initial public offering and have no net cash settlement provisions.
If we do not complete a business combination by December 22, 2023, then the proceeds will be part of the liquidating distribution to the public stockholders and the warrants issued to the Sponsor will expire worthless.
Related Party Loans
On June 18, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan us an aggregate of up to $200,000 to cover expenses related to the initial public offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). This loan was non-interest bearing and payable upon the completion of the initial public offering. We borrowed approximately $31,000 under the Note and fully repaid the Note in full on December 22, 2020.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us working capital loans. If we complete a business combination, we will repay the working capital loans out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, the working capital loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that a business combination does not close, we 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. The working capital loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a business combination or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such working capital loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no borrowings under working capital loans.
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Administrative Services Agreement
Commencing on the date that our securities were first listed on Nasdaq until the earlier of our consummation of a Business Combination or our liquidation, we agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team. For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had incurred $120,000 and $120,000 in administrative services expenses under this agreement, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $0 and $20,000 outstanding, respectively, for services in connection with such agreement on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
The Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to the Sponsor, directors, officers or directors, or any of their affiliates. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were approximately $1,500 and $30,811 due to related parties, respectively.
Contractual Obligations
Registration Rights
The holders of founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any (and any underlying securities), are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement. These holders are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders will have “piggyback” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
We granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional units to cover any over-allotments, at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On December 22, 2020 we issued 2,250,000 units in connection with the underwriters’ exercise of the over-allotment option in full. We paid an underwriting discount of $3,450,000 ($0.20 per unit sold) to the underwriters at the closing of the initial public offering on December 22, 2020, with an additional fee (the “Deferred Discount”) of $6,037,500 ($0.35 per unit sold) payable upon our completion of an initial business combination.
On June 14, 2022, the Company entered into the Amendment Letter with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“Cantor”) to amend the Underwriting Agreement, dated December 17, 2020, by and between the Company and Cantor, as representative of the Underwriters, pursuant to which Cantor agreed to waive in full the Deferred Discount. Pursuant to the Amendment Letter, the Company agreed to grant Cantor with a right of first refusal to act as the Company’s capital markets advisor with an advisory fee of $3,800,000, subject to the conditions described therein.
Critical Accounting Estimates
This management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to fair value of financial instruments and accrued expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We have not identified any critical accounting estimates.
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
This information appears following Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2022 because of a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Specifically, the Company’s management has concluded that our control around the interpretation and accounting for extinguishment of a significant contingent obligation was not effectively designed or maintained. This material weakness resulted in the restatement of the Company’s interim financial statements for the quarters ended June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022. In addition, the subsequent restatement that was identified to correct the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit has been determined by management to also be a material weakness over financial reporting.
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
| (1) | pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company, |
| (2) | provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and |
| (3) | provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements. |
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that our internal controls over financial reporting were not effective as of December 31, 2022.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K/A does not include an attestation report of internal controls from our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting except for the below.
Our principal executive officer and principal financial officer performed additional accounting and financial analyses and other post-closing procedures including consulting with subject matter experts related to the accounting for extinguishment of a significant contingent obligation. To address this material weakness, management has devoted, and plans to continue to devote, significant effort and resources to the remediation and improvement of Company’s internal control over financial reporting. While the Company has processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements, management plans to enhance these processes to better evaluate its research and understanding of the nuances of the complex accounting standards that apply to its financial statements. The Company plans to include providing enhanced access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increased communication among its personnel and third-party professionals with whom it consults regarding complex accounting applications.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevents Inspections
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our officers and directors are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||||
| Carter Glatt | 29 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||||
| Michael Castaldy | 44 | Chief Financial Officer and Director | ||||
| William Nance | 46 | Director | ||||
| Jeron Smith | 37 | Director | ||||
| Cecil White III | 30 | Director | ||||
Carter Glatt has been our Chief Executive Officer and Director since June 2020. He most recently from 2018 to 2020 served as the Head of Corporate Development and Senior Vice President of GTY Technology Holdings Inc., or GTY (Nasdaq: GTYH), a SaaS company that offers a cloud-based suite of solutions for the public sector which was formerly a SPAC founded by the former chairmen of EMC Corporation, VMware, Inc. and Accenture PLC. In such role, Mr. Glatt oversaw or was directly involved in all M&A, joint venture, capital raising, investor relations and strategic alternatives efforts for GTY. Since 2020, Mr. Glatt has served as Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of delta2 Capital, a SPAC-focused investment fund. Mr. Glatt’s SPAC expertise and operational leadership is complemented by his background in investment banking. He began his career at Barclays (NYSE: BCS) covering the financial technology, consumer retail and healthcare industries before becoming a private equity investor. Mr. Glatt holds a BA with Honors from Dartmouth College. Mr. Glatt’s qualifications to serve on the board include his expertise in SPACs, deal sourcing, M&A structuring, and capital raising.
Michael Castaldy has been our Chief Financial Officer and Director since June 2020. He has over twenty-five years of experience as a portfolio manager and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of delta2 Capital, where he has held such roles since 2020. Prior to managing delta2 Capital, Mr. Castaldy co-founded Diverse Partners, LP in 2014, a multi-strategy hedge fund that engages in a broad array of investment activities, including SPAC investing, private transactions and quantitative volatility trading. Through Diverse Partners, LP, Mr. Castaldy structured numerous SPAC IPOs and business combinations as well as led venture rounds for SaaS and health technology companies until 2019. Prior to co-founding Diverse Partners, LP, Mr. Castaldy was a proprietary trader at ECHOtrade, LLC for six years, trading U.S. equities and options. Prior to his time at ECHOtrade, LLC, Mr. Castaldy was the Senior Market Strategist at CAM Asset Management, LLC for five years. From 2019 to 2020, Mr. Castaldy also served as the Chief Financial Officer of Curant, a software startup that has built a mobile platform to enhance service, payment, and promotions across various sectors. Mr. Castaldy attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, Hofstra University, and Quantic School of Business and Technology. He has post-graduate certificates in data science and machine learning.
William Nance has served on our board of directors since December 2020. Mr. Nance currently serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Hydrogen Energy LLC, a specialty air gas provider. Before that, Mr. Nance served as the Chief Financial Officer as well as Senior Vice President of Business Development at U.S. Real Estate Market Holdings, Inc., a capital markets technology firm, from 2019 to 2022. From 2012 to 2019, Mr. Nance was a vice president at First Data Corporation (acquired by Fiserv, Inc. (Nasdaq: FISV)), where he was a senior member within the business development organization and, from 2016, led the group responsible for the firm’s venture capital investments and served on several private company boards. Before that, Mr. Nance held senior-level finance, business development, analytics, and general management roles at Patch Media Corporation (acquired by AOL, Inc.). Earlier in his career, Mr. Nance was an associate in the investment banking division at Lehman Brothers and prior to that, he helped establish the New York office of Mainspring, Inc. (acquired by International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM)). He began his career as a business analyst at Deloitte Consulting, the management consulting division of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Mr. Nance holds an A.B. degree in History from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Mr. Nance’s qualifications to serve on our board of directors include his investment, venture capital, financial and business strategy expertise.
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Jeron Smith has served on our board of directors since December 2020. Mr. Smith founded Unanimous Media with business partner Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Unanimous develops and produces television, film and digital content. Unanimous launched in April 2018 in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment across its film, television, and worldwide partnerships operations. In 2021, Mr. Smith partnered with Michael Jordan and his son, Jeffrey Michael Jordan, to found Heir Inc., an entertainment and tech venture geared towards athletes. In conjunction with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Mr. Smith is also a founder of The Incubation Lab, a culture-forward media incubator. Mr. Smith is a seasoned leader in brand management, helping spearhead the launch of Stephen Curry 30 Inc., as Chief Marketing Officer, and overseeing Mr. Curry’s holistic brand strategy and partnership portfolio. In his role at Stephen Curry 30 Inc., Mr. Smith developed an industry-leading benchmark formula for player marketing and engineered various prominent partnership deals. Prior to teaming up with Mr. Curry, Mr. Smith worked at the White House Office of Digital Strategy under President Barack Obama, where he developed and implemented a comprehensive digital strategy for the Executive Office of the President including digital content, media partners, whitehouse.gov, as well as @whitehouse and @POTUS social media channels for specific policy initiatives. Before joining the White House, Mr. Smith served as a Brand Marketing Strategic Lead across several categories and territories at Nike Inc. While there, Mr. Smith leveraged the integrated marketing mix to launch and lead disruptive marketing campaigns. In 2015, Mr. Smith was recognized on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Marketing and Advertising and the Ad Age 40 Under 40 list, and his expertise in digital marketing is highlighted through his published research in the International Journal of Mobile Marketing. Mr. Smith holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Howard University, and Master’s degrees from Georgetown University and Columbia University. Mr. Smith’s qualifications to serve on our board of directors include his deal structuring, operational and marketing expertise.
Cecil White III has served on our board of directors since February 2023. Mr. White is an Agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME) focused on business development for talent and properties. At WME, Mr. White has steered over 150 brand endorsements, equity-based partnerships, and sponsorships with some of the world’s fastest-growing companies, such as Tonal, Away Luggage, Talkspace, BodyArmor, Zeel, Asutra, HyperIce, Adidas, Jordan Brand, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, Lemon Perfect, Mercedes Benz, and others. In 2020, he co-founded The InvescoQQQ Legacy Classic, a new property headlined by a nationally-televised collegiate basketball showcase focused on spotlighting HBCU life & culture; the event is co-owned by Endeavor, Michael B. Jordan, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and Horizon Media. Mr. White began his career as an Investment Banker at Barclays (NYSE: BCS) covering the consumer retail and healthcare industries. He was an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce with concentrations in Finance, Management, and Business Analytics and a minor in African American studies. Cecil was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020) and Sports Business Journal’s New Voices Under 30 (2020). Mr. White’s qualifications to serve on our board of directors include his business development, financial and investment banking expertise.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors consists of 5 members is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual 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, consisting of Mr. Smith, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Mr. Nance and Mr. White, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Mr. Glatt and Mr. Castaldy, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders.
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 certificate of incorporation.
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Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, 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. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Mr. Nance, Mr. Smith and Mr. White serve as 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, subject to the exception described below. Mr. Nance, Mr. Smith and Mr. White are independent.
Mr. Nance serves 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. Nance qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| ● | meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm regarding, among other issues, audits, and adequacy of our accounting and control systems; |
| ● | monitoring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
| ● | inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
| ● | pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
| ● | appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
| ● | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our consolidated financial statements or accounting policies; |
| ● | monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of the initial public offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise causing compliance with the terms of the initial public offering; and |
| ● | reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing stockholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval. |
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Compensation Committee
We have established a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee are Mr. Smith and Mr. White, and Mr. Smith serves as chairman of the compensation committee. We adopted a compensation committee charter, which details 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 approving the compensation of all of our other Section 16 executive 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 also provides 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.
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 5605(e)(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 participating in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Mr. Nance, Mr. Smith and Mr. White. 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.
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The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders). Our stockholders that wish to nominate a director for election to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws.
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 stockholders.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a code of ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees (“Code of Ethics”) that complies with the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. The Code of Ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business. We have previously filed copies of our form of Code of Ethics, our form of audit committee charter and our form of compensation committee charter as exhibits to our registration statement in connection with our initial public offering. You may review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request to us in writing at 700 S. Rosemary Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 or by telephone number is (917) 742-1904.
Conflicts of Interest
Members of our management team do not have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Our officers and directors have agreed not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act, until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
| ● | None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities. |
| ● | 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. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. |
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| ● | Our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants (the “private placement warrant shares”) and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares or private placement warrant shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination by December 22, 2023. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable by the Sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and private placement warrant shares, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since the Sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own public shares and warrants following our initial public offering, our 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. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | The Sponsor, our officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. |
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:
| ● | the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity; |
| ● | the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and |
| ● | it would not be fair to our company and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation. |
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
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Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
| Individual | Entity | Entity’s Business | Affiliation | |||
| Carter Glatt | delta2 Capital | SPAC-focused Investment Fund | Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner | |||
| Michael Castaldy | delta2 Capital | SPAC-focused Investment Fund | Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner | |||
| William Nance | Global Hydrogen Energy LLC | Capital Markets Technology Firm | Founder and Chief Executive Officer | |||
| Jeron Smith | Heir Inc. | Entertainment, Media and Digital Content | Co-Founder | |||
| The Incubation Lab | Entertainment, Media and Digital Content | Founder | ||||
| Unanimous Media | Entertainment, Media and Digital Content | Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer | ||||
| Cecil White III | William Morris Endeavor (WME) | Entertainment Talent Agency | Agent and Executive |
Accordingly, if any of the above executive officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with the Sponsor, our officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, the Sponsor, our officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares or private placement warrant shares held by them and any public shares they hold (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from their actions as directors.
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We have entered into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We have purchased a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered. We will pay the Sponsor $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease making these payments. In addition, the Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to the Sponsor, executive officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid to the Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed 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 business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with the post-transaction company after our initial business combination. Any such arrangements will be disclosed in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination, to the extent they are known at such time. 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 executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 7, 2023 by:
| ● | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock; |
| ● | each of our executive officers and directors; and |
| ● | all our executive 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 shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of the Original Filing.
The beneficial ownership of our common stock is based on 5,494,554 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of April 7, 2023, consisting of 1,182,054 shares of Class A common stock and 4,312,500 founder shares.
| NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER | Number of Class A Common Stock Beneficially Owned | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Class A Common Stock | Number of Class B Common Stock Beneficially Owned(2) | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Class B Common Stock | ||||||||||||
| Directors, Executive Officers and Founders(1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC (3) | — | — | 4,312,500 | 100 | % | |||||||||||
| Carter Glatt(3) | — | — | 4,312,500 | 100 | % | |||||||||||
| Michael Castaldy(4) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| William Nance(4) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| Jeron Smith(4) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| Cecil White III(4) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| All executive officers and directors as a group (five individuals) | — | — | 4,312,500 | 100 | % | |||||||||||
| Five Percent Holders | ||||||||||||||||
| Barclays(5) | 72,163 | 6.1 | % | — | — | |||||||||||
| Nomura(6) | 67,000 | 5.7 | % | — | — | |||||||||||
| (1) | The business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Dune Acquisition Corporation, 700 S. Rosemary Avenue, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. |
| (2) | Interests shown consist of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. |
| (3) | Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein. Each of our officers and directors are among the members of Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC and Mr. Glatt is the manager of Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC. Mr. Glatt has voting and investment discretion with respect to the common stock held of record by Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC. Each of our officers and directors other than Mr. Glatt disclaims any beneficial ownership of any shares held by Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC. |
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| (4) | Does not include any shares held by the Sponsor. This individual is a member of the Sponsor, as described in footnote 4, but does not have voting or dispositive control over the shares held by the Sponsor. |
| (5) | According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 27, 2023 on behalf of Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC (together with Barclays PLC, “Barclays”). The securities being reported on by Barclays PLC, consisting of 72,163 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, as a parent holding company, are owned, or may be deemed to be beneficially owned, by Barclays Bank PLC, a non-U.S. banking institution registered with the Financial Conduct Authority authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom. Barclays Bank PLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barclays PLC. The business address of each reporting person is 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, England. |
| (6) | According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14, 2023 on behalf of Nomura Holdings, Inc. (“Nomura Holdings”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Nomura Global Financial Products, Inc. (“Nomura Global” and, together with Nomura Holdings, “Nomura”). Nomura may be deemed to beneficially own 67,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The business address of Nomura Holdings is 13-1, Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8645, Japan and the business address of Nomura Global is 309 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019. |
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Founder Shares
On July 10, 2020, the Sponsor purchased 3,737,500 founder shares for an aggregate price of $25,000. On December 17, 2020, pursuant to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation, each founder share outstanding immediately prior to December 17, 2020 was converted into one and two-thirteenths (12/13) founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares outstanding. Our initial stockholders agreed to forfeit up to 562,500 founder shares to the extent that the over-allotment option was not exercised in full by the underwriters, so that the founder shares would represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after the initial public offering. The underwriter exercised its over-allotment option in full on December 22, 2020; thus, these 562,500 founder shares were no longer subject to forfeiture.
Our initial stockholders agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the founder shares until the earlier to occur of (A) one year after the completion of the initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to the initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial business combination, and (B) the date following the completion of the initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.
Related Party Loans
On June 18, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan us an aggregate of up to $200,000 to cover expenses related to the initial public offering pursuant to the Note. This loan was non-interest bearing and payable upon the completion of the initial public offering. We borrowed approximately $31,000 under the Note and fully repaid the Note in full on December 22, 2020.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us working capital loans. If we complete a business combination, we will repay the working capital loans out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, the working capital loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that a business combination does not close, we 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. The working capital loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a business combination or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such working capital loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no borrowings under working capital loans.
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Administrative Services Agreement
Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities were first listed on Nasdaq until the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of the Company’s management team. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had incurred $120,000 and $120,000 in administrative services expenses under this agreement, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had $0 and $20,000 outstanding, respectively, for services in connection with such agreement on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
The Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. The Company’s audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, directors, officers or directors of the Company, or any of their affiliates. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were $1,500 and $30,811 due to related party respectively.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The following is a summary of fees paid to WithumSmith+Brown, PC (“Withum”) for services rendered.
Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end consolidated financial statements, reviews of our quarterly consolidated financial statements and services that are normally provided by our independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory and regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed by Withum for audit fees, inclusive of required filings with the SEC for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, totaled $79,060 and $96,020, respectively. These amounts include interim procedures and audit fees as well as attendance in audit committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our year-end consolidated financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultation concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not pay Withum any audit-related fees during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Tax Fees. Tax fees consist of fees billed for professional services relating to tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. We paid Withum tax fees during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 of $11,240 and $7,725, respectively.
All Other Fees. All other fees consist of fees billed for all other services. We did not pay Withum any other fees during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Pre-Approval Policy
Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our business combination. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
| (a) | The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A: |
| 1. | Financial Statements: |
| (b) | Financial Statement Schedules. |
None.
| (c) | Exhibits: |
The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index below are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.
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Exhibit Index
64
| * | Filed herewith. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: July 17, 2023 |
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ Carter Glatt | ||
| Name: | Carter Glatt | ||
| Title: |
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Carter Glatt and Michael Castaldy, and each or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| /s/ Carter Glatt | Chief Executive Officer and Director | July 17, 2023 | ||
| Carter Glatt | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Michael Castaldy | Chief Financial Officer and Director | July 17, 2023 | ||
| Michael Castaldy | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ William Nance | Director | July 17, 2023 | ||
| William Nance | ||||
| /s/ Jeron Smith | Director | July 17, 2023 | ||
| Jeron Smith | ||||
| /s/ Cecil White III | Director | July 17, 2023 | ||
| Cecil White III |
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DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of
Dune Acquisition Corporation:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Dune Acquisition Corporation (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Restatement of Financial Statements
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, management concluded that the previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 should be restated to correct the consolidated statement of stockholders’ deficit as the net income was not properly reflecting the amount as stated on the consolidated statements of operations.
As discussed in Note 2A to the consolidated financial statements, the Company previously accounted for its deferred underwriting fee waiver as a forgiveness of debt and recorded a gain on its statements of operations. Management has since re-evaluated its accounting treatment for the forgiveness and has determined that the forgiveness should have been treated as a credit to stockholders’ deficit. Accordingly, the 2022 unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been restated within Note 2A to correct the accounting and related disclosure for the forgiveness of the deferred underwriting fee.
Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, if the Company is unable to raise additional funds to alleviate liquidity needs and complete a business combination by December 22, 2023, then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The liquidity condition and date for mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution 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 consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
New York,
April 7, 2023 Except for Note 2, as to which the date is July 14, 2023.
PCAOB ID Number
F-2
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | |||||||
| Assets: | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
| Receivable from settlement | ||||||||
| Total current assets | ||||||||
| Cash and investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||
| Total Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Liabilities, Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption and Stockholders’ Deficit: | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||||||
| Due to related party | ||||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||
| Total current liabilities | ||||||||
| Deferred underwriting commissions | ||||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||
| Total liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | ||||||||
| Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, $ | ||||||||
| Stockholders’ Deficit: | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, $ | ||||||||
| Class A common stock, $ | ||||||||
| Class B common stock, $ | ||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total stockholders’ deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total Liabilities, Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption and Stockholders’ Deficit | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-3
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | $ | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses - related party | ||||||||
| Franchise tax expense | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Other income (expenses): | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||
| Gain on settlement | ||||||||
| Interest earned on operating account | ||||||||
| Income on investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | ||||||||
| Provision for income tax | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ||||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-4
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(AS RESTATED)
| Common Stock | Additional | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class A | Class B | Paid-In | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Deficit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – January 1, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2021 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amount – accumulated deficit | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Gain on settlement of deferred underwriting commission | ( | ) | ||||||
| Income on investments held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
Receivable from settlement | ( | ) | ||||||
| Accounts payable | ( | ) | ||||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||||||
| Due to related party | ( | ) | ||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from Investing Activities | ||||||||
| Investment income released from Trust Account to pay for franchise taxes | ||||||||
| Withdrawal for redemption payment | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | ||||||||
| Offering costs paid | ( | ) | ||||||
| Payment of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net change in cash | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash - beginning of the period | ||||||||
| Cash - end of the period | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities | ||||||||
Extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to Public Shares | $ | $ | - | |||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-6
Note 1. Description of Organization and Business Operations
Organization and General
Dune Acquisition Corporation (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on June 18, 2020. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “business combination”). The Company is an emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from June 18, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2022 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “initial public offering”), described below, and since the closing of the initial public offering, the search for a prospective initial business combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial business combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the initial public offering (as defined below).
Sponsor and Financing
The Company’s sponsor is Dune Acquisition
Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s initial
public offering was declared effective on December 17, 2020. On December 22, 2020, the Company consummated its initial public offering
of
Simultaneously with the closing of the initial
public offering, the Company consummated the private placement (“private placement”) of
Trust Account
Upon the closing of the initial public offering
and the private placement, $
F-7
June 2022 Extension Special Meeting of Stockholders
On June 14, 2022, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”). At the Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter Amendment”) to extend the date by which the Company must complete a business combination from June 22, 2022 to December 22, 2023.
Initial Business Combination
The Company’s management has broad discretion
with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of private placement warrants,
although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a business combination. There
is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a business combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial
Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least
The Company will provide the holders (the “public
stockholders”) of the public shares with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of
a business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means
of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a business combination or conduct a tender
offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The public stockholders will be entitled to redeem their public shares for
a pro rata portion of the amount then held in the trust account (initially anticipated to be $
F-8
The Certificate of Incorporation provides that
a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert
or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)),
will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of
The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and
directors (the “initial stockholders”) agreed not to propose an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to modify the
substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem
If the Company is unable to complete a business
combination within 36 months from the closing of the initial public offering, or December 22, 2023 (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, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit
in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to the Company to pay
its taxes (less up to $
The initial stockholders agreed to waive their
rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a business
combination within the Combination Period. However, if the initial stockholders acquire public shares in or after the initial public offering,
they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if the Company fails to complete
a business combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters agreed to waive their rights to the deferred underwriting commission
(see Note 6) held in the trust account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period
and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption
of the public shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available
for distribution (including trust account assets) will be only $
Proposed Business Combination
On October 12, 2021, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Dune Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), Dune Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct, wholly-owned subsidiary the Company (“Merger Sub II”), and TradeZero Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (“TradeZero”).
F-9
Dispute Relating to the Business Combination with TradeZero
On April 1, 2022, the Company, along with Merger Sub, Merger Sub II and the Sponsor (collectively, the “Dune Plaintiffs”) filed a four-count complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against TradeZero and Messrs. Pipitone, Ferrara, Muscatella, Choi, Koslow, Caruso and Corriveau (together, the “TradeZero Defendants”), each of whom are part of TradeZero’s management team. The Dune Plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, fraudulent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment against the TradeZero Defendants. On May 3, 2022, after careful consideration and consultation with the Company’s management and outside legal advisors, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), who had previously unanimously endorsed and approved of the business combination with TradeZero, announced that it had changed its recommendation to the Company’s stockholders and then unanimously recommended that the Company’s stockholders vote against the business combination with TradeZero. On May 5, 2022, the TradeZero Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Dune Plaintiffs’ lawsuit; on July 8, 2022, the Company filed an amended complaint; and on July 22, 2022 TradeZero filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
On July 13, 2022, the Company received a notice from TradeZero that purported to terminate the Merger Agreement pursuant to Sections 10.01(c) and 10.01(i) thereof (the “Purported Termination Notice”). On July 15, 2022, the Company sent a letter to TradeZero in response to the Purported Termination Notice stating, among other things, that TradeZero is not permitted to terminate the Merger Agreement because of TradeZero’s breaches of, and failure to perform under, the Merger Agreement.
On December 28, 2022, the Dune Plaintiffs entered
into a Settlement Agreement and Release (the “Settlement Agreement”) with the TradeZero Defendants, pursuant to which (i)
the Company and TradeZero mutually agreed to terminate the Merger Agreement and (ii) the Dune Plaintiffs and the TradeZero Defendants
agreed to a mutual release of all claims related to the Merger Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby, and the lawsuit filed
by the Dune Plaintiffs against TradeZero Defendants in the Delaware Court of Chancery, in each case effective upon receipt in full by
the Dune Plaintiffs from the insurers of the TradeZero Defendants of $
For additional information regarding the Merger Agreement and the Settlement Agreement, see the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 12, 2021, January 26, 2022, July 15, 2022 and December 30, 2022 and the Company’s preliminary proxy statement (as amended), initially filed with the SEC on January 26, 2022.
Liquidity and Going Concern
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $
The Company’s liquidity needs prior to
the consummation of the initial public offering were satisfied through the payment of $
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” the Company has until December 22, 2023 to consummate a business combination. It is uncertain that the Company will be able to consummate a business combination by this time. Management has determined that the liquidity position, mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management intends to complete the business combination prior to the liquidation date. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after December 22, 2023. The Company intends to complete a proposed business combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any business combination by December 22, 2023.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s, or its target’s, financial position, results of its operations and/or completion of the business combination, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus. Further, the impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy are not determinable as of the date of these financial statements and the specific impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these financial statements.
F-10
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act
of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal
On December 27, 2022, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a Notice 2023-2 (“Notice”), which provided interim guidance regarding the application of the corporate stock repurchase excise tax until the issuance of proposed regulations. The Notice excluded the distributions from a complete liquidation of a corporation from the base of the excise tax. The Notice also excludes from the scope of the excise tax any distribution made during the taxable year in which a corporation fully liquidates and dissolves, even if a distribution precedes the formal decision to liquidate.
Note 2. Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements
Subsequent to the initial issuance of the Company’s 2022 financial statements on April 7, 2023, management concluded that the previously issued audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 should be restated to correct the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit as the wrong net income was included in the statement.
This clerical error had no impact on the Company’s cash position, revenues, or liquidity. The errors have been corrected by restating each of the affected financial statement line items for the period.
Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit:
The tables below present the effect of the financial statement adjustment related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported accumulated deficit and total stockholder’s deficit within the statement of changes in stockholders’ deficit for the year ended December 31, 2022:
| For the year ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustments | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Accumulated Deficit: | ||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2021 | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| Net Income | ||||||||||||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amounts – accumulated deficit | ||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2022 | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| For the year ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustments | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Total Stockholders’ Deficit: | ||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2021 | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| Net Income | ||||||||||||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amounts – accumulated deficit | ||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2022 | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
Note 2A. Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements as of April 7, 2023
The Company had recognized a liability upon closing of their initial public offering in December 2020 for a portion of the underwriter’s commissions which was contingently payable upon closing of a future business combination, with the offsetting entry resulting in an initial discount to the securities sold in the initial public offering. On June 14, 2022, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. irrevocably waived its rights to the deferred underwriting commissions due under the underwriting agreement. The Company recognized the waiver as an extinguishment, with a resulting non-operating gain recognized in its statements of operations reported in the Company’s Form 10-Qs for the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022 (the “Affected Quarterly Periods”). Upon subsequent review and analysis, management concluded that the Company should have recognized the portion allocated to Public Shares as an adjustment to the carrying value of the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption and the remaining balance as a gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities.
F-11
Therefore, the Company’s management and the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Audit Committee”) concluded that the Company’s Affected Quarterly Periods should no longer be relied upon and that it is appropriate to restate them. As such, the Company will restate its financial statements in this Form 10-K/A. The previously presented Affected Quarterly Period should no longer be relied upon.
Impact of the Restatement
The impact of the restatement on the statements of operations, statements of changes in stockholders’ deficit and statements of cash flows for the affected period is presented below. The restatement had no impact on net cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities.
Statement of Operations:
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022:
| For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustment | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| Other income (expenses): | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Interest earned on operating account | ||||||||||||
| Income from investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A common stock, basic and diluted | ||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B common stock, basic and diluted | ||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class B common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustment | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| Other income (expenses): | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Interest earned on operating account | ||||||||||||
| Income from investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A common stock, basic and diluted | - | |||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B common stock, basic and diluted | - | |||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class B common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
F-12
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (there were no adjustments for the three months ended September 30, 2022):
| For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustment | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| Other income (expenses): | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ||||||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Interest earned on operating account | ||||||||||||
| Income from investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A common stock, basic and diluted | ||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B common stock, basic and diluted | ||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, Class B common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||
Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit:
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported accumulated deficit within the statement of changes in stockholders’ deficit for the six months ended June 30, 2022:
| For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustment | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2021 | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net income | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amount - accumulated deficit | ||||||||||||
| Balance - June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported accumulated deficit within the statement of changes in stockholders’ deficit for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:
| For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported | Restatement Adjustment | As Restated | ||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2021 | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net income | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amount - accumulated deficit | ||||||||||||
| Balance - September 30, 2022 (unaudited) | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | |||||
F-13
Statement of Cash Flows:
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2022:
| For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported |
Restatement Adjustment |
As Restated | ||||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | |||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Income from investments held in Trust Account | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | ||||||||||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||||||||||
| Due to related party | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | ( |
) | $ | $ | ( |
) | |||||
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities: | ||||||||||||
| Extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to Public Shares | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
The table below presents the effect of the financial statement adjustments related to the restatement discussed above of the Company’s previously reported statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2022:
| For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 (unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| As Previously Reported |
Restatement Adjustment |
As Restated | ||||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | |||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Income from investments held in Trust Account | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | ||||||||||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||||||||||
| Due to related party | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | ( |
) | $ | $ | ( |
) | |||||
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities: | ||||||||||||
| Extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to Public Shares | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
F-14
Note 3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
The consolidated financial statements of the Company include its wholly owned subsidiary in connection with the planned merger. All inter-company accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
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 of 2002, 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 stockholder 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 an emerging growth 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. 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 consolidated financial statements with those of another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. One of the more significant accounting estimates included in these consolidated financial statements is the determination of the fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities. Such estimates may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject
the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution which, at times, may exceed the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $
Investments Held in the Trust Account
The Company’s portfolio of investments is comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities and generally have a readily determinable fair value, or a combination thereof. When the Company’s investments held in the trust account are comprised of U.S. government securities, the investments are classified as trading securities. When the Company’s investments held in the trust account are comprised of money market funds, the investments are recognized at fair value. Trading securities and investments in money market funds are presented on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of these securities is included in income on investments held in the trust account in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the trust account are determined using available market information.
F-15
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers consist of:
| ● | Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets; |
| ● | Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and |
| ● | Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. |
In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements,” equal or approximate the carrying amounts represented in the consolidated balance sheets, except for derivative warrant liabilities (see Note 10).
Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering
Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred that were directly related to the initial public offering. Offering costs are allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the initial public offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with derivative warrant liabilities were expensed as incurred, presented as non-operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the public shares were charged against the carrying value of the shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of the initial public offering. The Company classifies deferred underwriting commissions as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
Derivative Warrant Liabilities
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and ASC 815-15. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.
The warrants to purchase Class A common stock issued in connection with the initial public offering (the “public warrants”) and the private placement warrants are recognized as derivative liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjust the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The initial fair value of the public warrants has been measured at fair value using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Subsequent to the public warrants being traded on an active market, the fair value of the public warrants has been based on the observable listed prices for such warrants. The fair value of the private placement warrants was estimated using Black-Scholes. The determination of the fair value of the warrant liability may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly. Derivative warrant liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
F-16
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its Class A common stock
subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
Shares of Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair
value. Shares of conditionally redeemable Class A common stock (including Class A common stock that feature redemption rights that are
either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s
control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, shares of Class A common stock are classified as stockholders’
equity. The Company’s Class A common stock feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s
control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, a total of
Under ASC 480-10-S99, the Company has elected to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying value of the security to equal the redemption value at the end of the reporting period. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date of the security. Effective with the closing of the initial public offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount, which resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share of Common Stock
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” The Company has two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A common stock and Class B common stock. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. This presentation assumes a business combination as the most likely outcome. Net income (loss) per share of common stock is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average shares of common stock outstanding for the respective period.
The calculation of diluted net income (loss) does
not consider the effect of the warrants underlying the Units sold in the initial public offering (including the consummation of the over-allotment)
and the private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of
The table below presents a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used to compute basic and diluted net income per share for each class of common stock:
| For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Class A | Class B | Class A | Class B | |||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per common stock: | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net income | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average common stock outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per common stock | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
F-17
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the consolidated financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
FASB ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and the 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 recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, ASC Subtopic 820, “Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions.” The ASU amends ASC 820 to clarify that a contractual sales restriction is not considered in measuring an equity security at fair value and to introduce new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value. The ASU applies to both holders and issuers of equity and equity-linked securities measured at fair value. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for both interim and annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is still evaluating the impact of this pronouncement on the consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Note 4. Initial Public Offering
Public Units
In the initial public offering, which closed December
22, 2020, the Company sold
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day
option to purchase up to
F-18
Note 5. Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On July 10, 2020, the Sponsor purchased
Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneously with the closing of the initial
public offering, the Company consummated the private placement of
The private placement warrants (including the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) are not transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of the initial business combination and they are non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable for cash by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the Units sold in the initial public offering. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the Warrants sold as part of the Units in the initial public offering and have no net cash settlement provisions.
If the Company does not complete a business combination, then the proceeds will be part of the liquidating distribution to the public stockholders and the warrants issued to the Sponsor will expire worthless.
F-19
Related Party Loans
On June 18, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the
Company an aggregate of up to $
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs
in connection with a business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and
directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “working capital loans”). If the Company
completes a business combination, the Company will repay the working capital loans out of the proceeds of the trust account released to
the Company. Otherwise, the working capital loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that
a business combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the trust account to repay the working capital
loans, but no proceeds held in the trust account would be used to repay the working capital loans. The working capital loans would either
be repaid upon consummation of a business combination or, at the lenders’ discretion, up to $
Administrative Services Agreement
Commencing on the date that the Company’s
securities were first listed on Nasdaq until the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination or the Company’s
liquidation, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $
The Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of
their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s
behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. The Company’s
audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, directors, officers or directors
of the Company, or any of their affiliates. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were $
Note 6. Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of Founder Shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, (and any underlying securities) are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement. These holders 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 the completion of the initial business combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day
option to purchase up to
F-20
On June 14, 2022, the Company entered into a letter
agreement (the “Amendment Letter”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“Cantor”) to amend that certain underwriting
agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), dated December 17, 2020, by and between the Company and Cantor, as representative
of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which Cantor agreed to waive in full the Deferred
Discount. Pursuant to the Amendment Letter, the Company agreed to grant Cantor with a right of first refusal to act as the Company’s
capital markets advisor with an advisory fee of $
Note 7. Derivative Warrant Liabilities
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company
had
Public warrants may only be exercised for a whole
number of shares. No fractional public warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole public warrants will trade.
The public warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a business combination or (b) 12 months
from the closing of the initial public offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under
the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and a current prospectus
relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis and such cashless
exercise Is exempt from registration under the Securities Act). The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later
than 15 business days, after the closing of a business combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration
statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants.
The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement,
and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the public warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant
agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national
securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities
Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless”
basis, and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement,
but the Company will be required to use its best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent
an exemption is not available. The public warrants will expire
The private placement warrants are identical to the public warrants, except that the private placement warrants and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the private placement warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the public warrants.
F-21
The Company may call the Public 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; and |
| ● | if, and only if, the last sales price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share on each of 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement.
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 the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
Note 8. Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company’s Class A common stock feature
certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of future events.
The Company is authorized to issue
The Class A common stock subject to possible redemption reflected on the consolidated balance sheets is reconciled on the following table:
| Gross proceeds | $ | |||
| Less: | ||||
| Fair value of Public Warrants at issuance | ( | ) | ||
| Offering costs allocated to Class A common stock subject to possible redemption | ( | ) | ||
| Plus: | ||||
| Accretion on Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amount | ||||
| Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Less: | ||||
| Redemption of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption | ( | ) | ||
| Adjustment for accretion of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption amount | ( | ) | ||
| Plus: | ||||
Waiver of offering costs allocated to Class A common stock subject to possible redemption | ||||
| Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, December 31, 2022 | $ |
Note 9. Stockholders’ Deficit
Preferred Stock – The Company is
authorized to issue
Class A Common Stock – The Company
is authorized to issue
F-22
Class B Common Stock (Founder Shares) –
The Company is authorized to issue
The Class B common stock will automatically convert
into Class A common stock at the time of the initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits,
stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that
additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial business
combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate,
on an as-converted basis,
Note 10. Fair Value Measurements
The public warrants were initially measured utilizing a Monte Carlo simulation model, and the private placement warrants were measured utilizing a Black-Scholes model. Subsequently when the public warrants were separately listed and traded in an active market, the public warrants have been measured at fair value utilizing their listed trading price.
For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021,
the Company recognized a gain/(loss) from a decrease/(increase) in the fair value of liabilities of approximately $
The estimated fair value of private placement warrants as of December 31, 2022 was based on the fair value of the public warrants and the estimated fair value of the private placement warrants as of December 31, 2021 were determined utilizing Level 3 inputs. Inherent in a Monte Carlo simulation and Black-Scholes model are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company estimates the volatility of its common stock warrants based on implied volatility from the Company’s traded warrants and from historical volatility of select peer company’s common stock that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates remaining at zero. The most significant input is volatility and significant increases (decreases) in the expected volatility in isolation would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement.
F-23
The following table presents information about the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 by level within the fair value hierarchy:
December 31, 2022
| Description | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities – Public | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities – Private Placement | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
December 31, 2021
| Description | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |||||||||
| Assets: | ||||||||||||
| Investments held in Trust Account – U.S. Treasury securities | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities – Public | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities – Private Placement | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
As of December 31, 2022, the trust assets were all held in cash.
Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2 and 3 are recognized at the beginning of the reporting period. The estimated fair value of public warrants was transferred from a Level 3 fair value measurement to a Level 1 measurement when the public warrants were separately listed and traded in February 2021. There were no other transfers to/from Levels 1, 2, and 3 during the year ended December 31, 2021. The estimated fair value of the private placement warrants was transferred from a Level 3 fair value measurement to a Level 2 measurement on July 1, 2022. As the transfer of private placement warrants to anyone who is not a permitted transferee would result in the private placement warrants having substantially the same terms as the public warrants, the Company determined that the fair value of each private placement warrant is equivalent to that of each public warrant. There were no other transfers to/from Levels 1, 2, and 3 during the year ended December 31, 2022.
The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements inputs at their measurement dates:
| As of December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Exercise price | $ | |||
| Unit price | $ | |||
| Volatility | % | |||
| Stock price | $ | |||
| Expected life of the options to convert (years) | ||||
| Risk-free rate | % | |||
The changes in the fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities, measured using Level 3 inputs, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, are summarized as follows:
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities as of January 1 | $ | $ | ||||||
| Transfer out of Level 3, Public Warrants start trading | ( | ) | ||||||
| Transfer of Private Placement Warrants to Level 2 | ( | ) | ||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities – Level 3 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Derivative warrant liabilities as of December 31 – Level 3 | $ | $ | ||||||
F-24
Note 11. Income Taxes
The Company’s general and administrative expenses are generally considered start-up costs and are not currently deductible. There was no income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The income tax provision (benefit) consists of the following:
| For the Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Current | ||||||||
| Federal | $ | $ | ||||||
| State | ||||||||
| Deferred | ||||||||
| Federal | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| State | ||||||||
| Valuation allowance | ||||||||
| Income tax provision | $ | $ | ||||||
The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
| Start-up/Organization costs | $ | $ | ||||||
| Net operating loss carryforwards | ||||||||
| Total deferred tax assets | ||||||||
| Valuation allowance | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Deferred tax asset, net of allowance | $ | $ | ||||||
In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets,
management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The
ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary
differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax
assets, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information
available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has
therefore established a full valuation allowance. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the valuation allowance increased by
approximately
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company
had $
There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.
A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate (benefit) to the Company’s effective tax rate (benefit) is as follows:
| For the Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Statutory federal income tax rate | % | % | ||||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | - | % | - | % | ||||
| Gain from extinguishment of deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities | - | % | % | |||||
| Change in valuation allowance | % | % | ||||||
| Income tax expense | % | % | ||||||
Note 12. Subsequent Events
Management has evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the consolidated financial statements were issued and determined that other than the settlement of the lawsuit with TradeZero as described in Note 1, there have been no events that have occurred that would require adjustments to the disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
F-25
Exhibit 4.5
DUNE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following summary of the material terms of the securities of Dune Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“we,” “us,” “our” or “the company”), is not intended to be a complete summary of the rights and preferences of such securities and is subject to and qualified by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and may be further amended in the future, our bylaws and the warrant agreement, dated December 17, 2020, between the company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Warrant Agreement”), in each case incorporated by reference as exhibits to the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the “Report”), and applicable Delaware law, including the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL. We urge you to read our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, our bylaws and the Warrant Agreement in their entirety for a complete description of the rights and preferences of our securities.
Certain Terms
| ● | “founder shares” are to shares of Class B common stock initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public offering and the shares of Class A common stock that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the shares of Class B common stock at the time of our initial business combination; |
| ● | “initial stockholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering |
| ● | “management” or our “management team” are to our executive officers and directors; |
| ● | “directors” are to our current directors; |
| ● | “common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock; |
| ● | “public shares” are to shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this our initial offering (whether they are purchased in such offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| ● | “public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholders and management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” will only exist with respect to such public shares; |
| ● | “private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to certain of our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering; and |
| ● | “sponsor” are to Dune Acquisition Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. |
General
We are a Delaware corporation formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to in this document as our initial business combination, and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, and the DGCL. Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our authorized capital stock consists of 400,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value each, including 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, as well as 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our capital stock as set out more particularly in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of the shares of Company’s Class A common stock. 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 share of Class A common stock, such warrant will not be exercisable. If a warrant holder holds two-halves of one warrant, such whole warrant will be exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. 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 common stock and warrants comprising the units began to trade separately on February 19, 2021. Since such date, holders 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 common stock and warrants.
Common Stock
As of December 31, 2022, there were 1,182,054 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001, and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, issued and outstanding.
Stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Holders of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or as required by applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our shares of common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. 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 elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, 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 shares of Class A common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term.
In accordance with Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws, unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.
2
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Unlike many special purpose acquisition companies that hold stockholder 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 stockholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Security and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires 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 stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal 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 stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of our initial business combination. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions, if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our stockholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such stockholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 20% 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 stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares they hold and any public shares in favor of our initial business combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
3
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended on June 14, 2022, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial stockholders have entered into agreements 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 if we fail to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or any extended period of time that we may have to consummate an initial business combination as a result of an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, if our initial stockholders or management team acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our stockholders 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 common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that we will provide our public stockholders 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 and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are designated as Class B common stock and, except as described below, are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units that were sold in our initial public offering, and holders of founder shares have the same stockholder rights as public stockholders, except that (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (C) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023 or any further extended period of time that we may have to consummate an initial business combination as a result of an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, 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 (iii) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased in favor of our initial business combination.
4
The founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock and provides that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors is 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 may, without stockholder approval, issue shares of preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without stockholder 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 preferred shares outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. Immediately after the initial public offering, there were no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Warrants
As of December 31, 2022, there were 13,475,000 warrants outstanding exercisable for 13,475,000 shares of common stock, consisting of 8,625,000 public stockholders’ warrants and 4,850,000 private placement warrants.
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Public Stockholders’ Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you have purchased 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 common stock 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 common stock 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 share of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the share of Class A common stock 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 share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (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 common stock 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, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
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Redemption of warrants for cash
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption for cash:
| ● | in whole and not in part; |
| ● | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| ● | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination as described elsewhere in this prospectus) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
If and when the warrants become redeemable by us for cash, 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 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 common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
Redemption procedures and cashless exercise
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above under “— Redemption of warrants for cash”, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” will mean the average closing price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Class A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, the holders of the private placement warrants and their permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
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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 common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is increased by a share capitalization payable in shares of Class A common stock, or by a split-up of common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of common stock. A rights offering to holders of common stock entitling holders to purchase Class A common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of Class A common stock 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 common stock) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock, in determining the price payable for Class A common stock, 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 shares of Class A common stock as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A common stock trades 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 the holders of Class A common stock on account of such Class A common stock (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 common stock 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 share of Class A common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding share of Class A common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Class A common stock 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 shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock 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 share of Class A common stock (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 stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial stockholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (the “Newly Issued Price”) (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
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In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A common stock), 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 outstanding Class A common stock), 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 common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of Class A common stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants.
The warrants have been issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, and that all other modifications or amendments will require the vote or written consent of the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants, and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants, at least 50% of the then outstanding private placement warrants. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which was filed as an exhibit to the registration statement relating to the initial public offering, 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 common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A common stock. After the issuance of Class A common stock 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 stockholders.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the warrant holder.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. 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.
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Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions and they will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial stockholders or their permitted transferees. The initial purchasers, or their permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. Except as described in this section, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units that were sold in our initial public offering.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” will mean the average closing price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the shares of Class A common stock received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
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. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.
Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of any of these warrants) until the date that is 30 days after the date we complete our initial business combination, except that, among other certain limited exceptions as described in the registration statement relating to the initial public offering, transfers can be made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, 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. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company 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.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains certain requirements and restrictions that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of 65% of our common stock. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:
| ● | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the requirements of other applicable law; |
| ● | Prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on our initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond December 22, 2023 or (y) amend the foregoing provisions; |
| ● | Although we do not intend to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our executive officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm that such a business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view; |
| ● | If a stockholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal 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. Whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above; |
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| ● | We must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination; | |
| ● | If our stockholders approve an additional amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by December 22, 2023, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A common stock 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 and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein; and |
| ● | We will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a “business combination” with:
| ● | a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”); |
| ● | an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or |
| ● | an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder. |
A “business combination” includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:
| ● | our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction; |
| ● | after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or |
| ● | on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the initial business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder. |
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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors are classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings.
Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder 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 common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Exclusive forum for certain lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Additionally, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal courts shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 22 of the Securities Act, however, created concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, 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. While the Delaware courts have determined that such exclusive forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions; however, we note that investors
cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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Special meeting of stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman.
Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations
Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a stockholder’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 opening of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.
Action by written consent
Any action required or permitted to be taken by our common stockholders must be effected by a duly called annual or special meeting of such stockholders and may not be effected by written consent of the stockholders other than with respect to our Class B common stock.
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 certificate of incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred stock, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
Class B Common Stock Consent Right
For so long as any shares of Class B common stock remain outstanding, we may not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Class B common stock then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B common stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B common stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B common stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Class B common stock were present and voted.
Listing of Securities
Our units, common stock and warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “DUNEU,” “DUNE” and “DUNEW,” respectively.
14
Exhibit 31.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Carter Glatt, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A of Dune Acquisition Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2022; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
| a. | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b. | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| c. | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d. | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a. | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b. | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: July 17, 2023
| By: | /s/ Carter Glatt | |
| Name: | Carter Glatt | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Michael Castaldy, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A of Dune Acquisition Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2022; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
| a. | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b. | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| c. | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d. | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a. | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b. | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: July 17, 2023
| By: | /s/ Michael Castaldy | |
| Name: | Michael Castaldy | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, I, Carter Glatt, Principal Executive Officer of Dune Acquisition Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certify, that, to my knowledge:
| 1. | the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of and for the period covered by the Report. |
Date: July 17, 2023
| By: | /s/ Carter Glatt | |
| Name: | Carter Glatt | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, I, Michael Castaldy, Principal Financial Officer of Dune Acquisition Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certify, that, to my knowledge:
| 1. | the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of and for the period covered by the Report. |
Date: July 17, 2023
| By: | /s/ Michael Castaldy | |
| Name: | Michael Castaldy | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |