IB Acquisition Corp S-1/A, filed Jan 31, 2024
IB Acquisition Corp. (IBAC)
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 30, 2024.
Registration No. 333-275650
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 2 to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
IB ACQUISITION CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Nevada | 6770 | 85-2946784 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton FL 33431
Telephone: (214) 687-0020
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
I-B Good Works 4, LLC
2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton FL 33431
Telephone: (214) 687-0020
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Ralph V. De Martino, Esq. Cavas S. Pavri, Esq. ArentFox Schiff LLP 1717 K Street NW Washington, DC 20006 Telephone: (202) 857-6000 |
Barry Grossman, Esq. Benjamin Reichel, Esq. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas 11th Floor New York, New York 10105 Telephone: (212) 370-1300 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | ||
| Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY 30, 2024 |
IB Acquisition Corp.
$100,000,000
10,000,000 Units
IB Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company 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 throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry or geographical location. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target regarding a business combination with our company.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of our common stock and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of our common stock upon the consummation of our initial business combination, so you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of our initial business combination. We have also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their shares of our 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 described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding shares of common stock that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders) we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (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 outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. We are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interest earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes that may be imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on any redemptions or stock buybacks by us.
Our sponsor, I-B Good Works 4, LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 units (or 610,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,700,000 in the aggregate, or $6,105,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. We refer to these units throughout this prospectus as the private placement units. Prior to this offering, our sponsor purchased 3,243,590 shares of our common stock (up to 423,077 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), which we also refer to as founder shares.
If stockholders holding only the minimum number of shares, required to be present at the stockholders’ meeting held to approve our initial business combination, are present at such meeting, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would not need any of the 10,000,000 public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). In addition, in the event that our board of directors amends our bylaws to reduce the number of shares required to be present at a meeting of our stockholders, we would need even fewer public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination to have such transaction approved.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, common stock or rights. We intend to apply to list our units, common stock and rights on The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “IBACU,” “IBAC”, and “IBACR,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers, as representative of the underwriters, informs us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. At the time that the common stock and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the common stock and rights will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “IBAC” and “IBACR,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 20 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| Per Unit | Total | |||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 10.00 | $ | 100,000,000 | ||||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | $ | 0.30 | $ | 3,000,000 | ||||
| Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | 9.70 | $ | 97,000,000 | ||||
| (1) | Includes up to $25,000 payable to Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. for acting as a qualified independent underwriter. Does not include the M&A fee (in an amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering) payable to I-Bankers upon the closing of our initial business combination pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement with I-Bankers. In addition, if a business combination is consummated with a target introduced to us by I-Bankers, we will pay I-Bankers a finder fee equal to 1% of the consideration issued to the target. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” for a description of underwriting compensation payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $100.5 million or $115.575 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.05 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds in the trust account that are released to us to pay our taxes, if any, these funds will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (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 articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about , 2024.
Joint Book-Running Managers
| I-Bankers Securities, Inc. | IB Capital LLC |
, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:
| ● | “common stock” are to shares of our common stock; | |
| ● | “founder shares” are to shares of our common stock purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering; | |
| ● | “I-Bankers” is to I-Bankers Securities, Inc.; | |
| ● | “management” or our “management team” are to our executive officers and directors; | |
| ● | “M&A fee” is to the fee (in an amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering) payable to I-Bankers for its merger and acquisition services upon the closing of our initial business combination pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement with I-Bankers, as further described under “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”; | |
| ● | “private placement rights” are to the rights included in the private placement units to be issued in a private placement to our sponsor simultaneously with the closing of this offering; | |
| ● | “private placement shares” are to the shares of common stock included in the private placement units to be issued in a private placement to our sponsor simultaneously with the closing of this offering; | |
| ● | “private placement units” are to the units to be issued in a private placement to our sponsor simultaneously with the closing of this offering; | |
| ● | “public shares” are to shares of our common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); | |
| ● | “public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our sponsor and management team to the extent our sponsor and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that our sponsor’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares; | |
| ● | “Representative shares” is to the 350,000 shares of common stock (or up to 395,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) we have agreed to issue to the underwriters; | |
| ● | “rights” are to the rights sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); | |
| ● | “sponsor” is to I-B Good Works 4, LLC, a limited liability company, in which each of our officers and directors and certain associated persons of I-Bankers are members; and | |
| ● | “we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to IB Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation. |
Each unit consists of one share of common stock and one right. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share of our common stock upon the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
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Our Company
General
IB Acquisition Corp. (formerly known as I-B Good Works 4 Corporation) is a blank check company originally formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 7, 2020 and which converted to a Nevada corporation on September 21, 2023. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination.
Our investment strategy is not specific to any sector; however, our management team and board members believe there are compelling investment opportunities in a number of areas including fintech, healthcare and life sciences, sports and entertainment, and consumer goods. We anticipate targeting companies domiciled in North America, Europe and Asia, with an enterprise value of at least $500 million.
At the time of preparing this prospectus, we have not identified any specific business combination, nor has anyone on our behalf initiated or engaged in any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, related to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities and activities related to this offering.
Our Management Team and Board of Directors
Our management team and members of our board of directors have significant experience in private investing, corporate finance and restructuring, and executive management in different industries. In addition, due to their geographic diversity, the team’s collective network spans North and South America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
We believe our management, investing, financing and restructuring experience combined with the extensive professional relationships of our team provides us with important competitive advantages for sourcing, pursuing and evaluating an initial business combination within our target universe.
The management team consists of both experienced executives and founders of successful enterprises. The team has extensive networks of relationships with CEOs, founders, family owners and private equity sponsors to potentially create a robust pipeline of opportunities with strong potential.
| ● | Adelmo “Al” Lopez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: Founder of Alma Coffee, former President and CEO of Blair Corporation, and former CFO of Dole Fresh Fruit International. | |
| ● | Christy Albeck, Chief Financial Officer: Founder and CEO of Albeck Financial Services, a consulting firm specializing in pre-audit work for international and domestic public companies and private companies in the process of going public, and Partner with Calabrese Consulting (which acquired Albeck Financial Services in March 2022). | |
| ● | John Joyce, Vice Chairman: Former Chief Financial Officer of IBM, President of Asia Pacific and Head of Global Services, and Managing Director of SilverLake Partners. | |
| ● | Silvia Panigone, Director: CEO of Inhalis Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech developing inhaled drugs for life-threatening diseases, Founder of ADYA, a company focused on corporate strategy counseling, interim management, deal structuring, capital raising at a global level, and former COO at NLS (NASDAQ: NLSP), a listed company in the life sciences sector. | |
| ● | Jian Zhang, Director: CEO and Managing Partner of Yuunnan Xiaosen Venture Capital Co., Ltd., angel investment fund for internet and social media start-ups, and CEO of Hangzhou Hechuang Investment Management Co., Ltd., an investment fund focused on the agricultural sector. | |
| ● | Feng Xiangkun, Advisor: Experienced investor with analyst and fund management experience at State Grid Yingda and YuanDeKun, respectively. Mr. Feng brings with him extensive securities experience as well as a diverse network across the Asian continent. |
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We do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business, nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to select or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to select or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Past performance of our management team, directors or advisors does not guarantee either (i) success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team as indicative of our future performance. Our directors and executive officers may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our executive officers, directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and the company, as well as the priority and preference that such other entities have with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they, in the exercise of their respective business judgment, deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process. We do not have an employment agreement with any member of our management team.
See the section of this prospectus entitled “Management” for a more complete description of our management team’s experience.
Business Strategy & Acquisition Criteria
We intend to focus on pursuing an acquisition of or merger with high-growth companies in a number of industries including but not limited to fintech, healthcare and life sciences, sports and entertainment, and consumer goods. For owners of high-quality businesses with growth capital needs, we can be a source of non-control capital. We believe a business combination with us may provide a significant monetization event for owners desiring liquidity as well as continued equity participation for those desiring continued ownership. Further, target companies can benefit from access to a public vehicle to support organic and inorganic growth initiatives by combining with us. Our investors can benefit from ownership in a well-capitalized growth-oriented business with a highly motivated management team.
Following our initial business combination, we intend to assist the target company in creating stockholder value which may include through board and/or senior management representation. As a result of our team’s experience, we believe we can add value post-transaction to ensure proper corporate governance and alignment of management incentives, develop an operational and financial strategy to pursue continued organic and inorganic growth initiatives and to assist with capital raising and capital structure optimization.
We will focus our search on targets seeking an investor at a discount to intrinsic value and publicly-traded peers. We have identified the following additional general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition or merger opportunities, but we may ultimately enter into our initial business combination with a company that does not meet any of these criteria and guidelines.
| ● | Enterprise Value: While our ability to raise additional capital from third-parties allows us to seek a much larger business combination, we intend to focus our efforts on seeking and completing an initial business combination with an enterprise that has a value of at least $500 million; | |
| ● | Strong Fundamentals: We expect to primarily target an initial business combination with a fundamentally sound high-growth company in need of growth capital; | |
| ● | Leading Market Position: We intend to pursue companies offering products or services that are leaders in their respective markets with sustainable competitive advantages and natural barriers to market entry; | |
| ● | Cash Flow Generating: We will seek to acquire or merge with an established company with attractive operating margins, positive EBITDA, strong free cash flow generation and solid recurring revenue streams; |
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| ● | Strong Investor Base: We will give preference to companies with a strong base of investors and prospects for new strategically-focused investors. | |
| ● | Strong Management: We will seek to acquire or merge with a target business with an experienced management team and a proven track record of execution; | |
| ● | Public-Company Readiness and Reason to be Public: We intend to acquire a business that is both ready to enter the public markets and can benefit from being publicly-traded and can effectively utilize broader access to capital; | |
| ● | Favorable Outlook: We will seek to acquire or merge with a target business where the end user markets of such target business’ products or services have a favorable growth outlook; | |
| ● | Performance Catalysts: We intend to solicit target companies that have clearly identifiable opportunities to execute on growth initiatives following the initial business combination; and | |
| ● | Market Fragmentation: We will also seek target companies with opportunities for selective strategic acquisitions and partnerships that can complement an organic growth strategy. |
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our advisors or our sponsor, officers, or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business, nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to select or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to select or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses might find this method a more certain and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. Furthermore, once the business combination is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business should then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests than it would have as a privately held company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our status as a public company will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view the inherent limitations in our status as a blank check company as a deterrent and may prefer to affect a business combination with a more established entity or with a private company. These inherent limitations include limitations on our available financial resources, which may be inferior to those of other entities pursuing the acquisition of similar target businesses; the requirement that we seek stockholder approval of a business combination or conduct a tender offer in relation thereto, which may delay the consummation of a transaction; and the existence of our outstanding rights, which may represent a source of future dilution.
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Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. In conducting our due diligence review, we intend to leverage the experience of members of our management team, directors, sponsors and advisors on an efficient and cost-effective basis as we deploy them to review matters related to their specific areas of functional expertise.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our advisors or our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. 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. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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.
Initial Business Combination
So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”), our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the M&A fee 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. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons. However, we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “Investment Company Act”). Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. 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 and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
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We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders).
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton, FL 33431, and our telephone number is (214) 687-0020.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
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The Offering
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors.”
| Securities offered | 10,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: | |||
| ● | one share of common stock; and | |||
| ● | one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock. | |||
| Proposed Nasdaq symbols | Units: “IBACU” | |
| Common stock: “IBAC” | ||
| Rights: “IBACR” | ||
| Trading commencement and separation of common stock and rights | The units will begin trading promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers, as representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. At the time that the common stock and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. | |
Separate trading of the common stock and rights is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K |
In no event will the common stock and rights be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. | |
| Units: | ||
| Number outstanding before this offering | 0 | |
| Number outstanding after this offering | 10,000,000 (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) | |
| Common stock: | ||
| Number outstanding before this offering | 3,243,590 (1) | |
| Number outstanding after this offering | 13,740,513(2) (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) | |
| Rights: | ||
| Number of rights outstanding before this offering |
0 | |
| Number of rights to be outstanding after this offering | 10,570,000(3) (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) | |
| Terms of the Rights | Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share of our common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the survivor upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the 1/10 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of any rights. As a result, you must have 10 rights to receive a share of common stock at the closing of the business combination. |
| (1) | This number consists solely of founder shares and includes up to 423,077 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Except as otherwise specified, the rest of this prospectus has been drafted to give effect to the full forfeiture of these 423,077 shares. | |
| (2) | Includes 10,000,000 public shares, 2,820,513 founder shares, 570,000 private placement shares and 350,000 Representative shares to be issued to the underwriters. | |
| (3) | Includes 10,000,000 public rights and 570,000 private placement rights. |
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| Private placement units: | In connection with this offering, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 units (or 610,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,700,000 in the aggregate, or $6,105,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
The purchase price of the private placement units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders), the proceeds from the sale of the private placement units held in the trust will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement rights will expire worthless. | |
| Founder shares: | On September 2, 2020, our sponsor subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares for a subscription price of $3,000. Prior to the above investment in the company, we had no assets, tangible or intangible. On October 26, 2023, our sponsor agreed to surrender an aggregate of 1,068,910 shares of our common stock for no consideration, which were cancelled, resulting in our sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,243,590 founder shares. | |
| If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will affect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor at 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 423,077 founder shares held by our sponsor are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering except that | ||||
| ● | the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; | |||
| ● | our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares, and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares or private placement shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (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 business combination within the prescribed time frame). Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination (subject to certain limitations, as described under “Risk Factors — If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock”). As a result, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would need 3,129,745, or approximately 31.3%, of the 10,000,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). Furthermore, assuming only the minimum number of stockholders required to be present at the stockholders’ meeting held to approve our initial business combination are present at such meeting, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would not need any of the 10,000,000 public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). In addition, in the event that our board of directors amends our bylaws to reduce the number of shares required to be present at a meeting of our stockholders, we would need even fewer public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination to have such transaction approved; and: | |||
| ● | the founder shares are subject to registration rights. | |||
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| Transfer restrictions on founder shares | Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of its founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Underlying Securities”). We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the “lock-up”. | |
| Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of our 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, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. |
| Other Terms: |
| Proceeds to be held in trust account | The rules of Nasdaq provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the $105.7 million in gross proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, or $121.105 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $100.5 million ($10.05 per unit), or $115.575 million ($10.05 per unit) if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be deposited into a segregated trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and the remaining amounts will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering (including underwriters discounts and commissions) and for working capital following this offering. | |
| Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (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 articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders. | ||
| Time to complete business combination | Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (a) the completion of our initial business combination; (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our articles of incorporation: (i) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering; or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity; and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders. | |
Anticipated expenses and funding sources |
Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1.2 million, or $1.08 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, in working capital after the payment of expenses relating to this offering and the payment of liability insurance premiums for D&O insurance. Additionally, in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds available to us are insufficient, our sponsor, officers and directors (or their affiliates) may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the holder’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of the notes may be converted into private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no other proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. |
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| Conditions to completing our initial business combination | There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination (although our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that we may not issue securities that can vote with common stockholders on matters related to our pre-business combination activity). The Nasdaq rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the M&A fee 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. We will be required to comply with such rule so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. |
| If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or from an independent accounting firm. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 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. 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. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that 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. | ||
| Permitted purchases of public shares by our affiliates | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. | |
| 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. Our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
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| Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our rights, the founder shares or private placement shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares, and any public shares they may acquire after this offering in connection with the completion of our business combination, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. | |
| Manner of conducting redemptions | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, 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 business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock 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 common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation would require stockholder approval. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we would be required to comply with such rules.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation:
● conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
● file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
Upon the public announcement of our business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our common stock in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will:
● conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and ● file proxy materials with the SEC. |
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| 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 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 sponsor, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our sponsor, officers and directors may make it more likely that we will consummate 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. | ||
| Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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, and all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. | ||
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold stockholder vote |
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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 an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us, our sponsor or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our 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 to less than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our business combination. |
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Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our articles of incorporation |
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain charter provisions. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock. In all other instances, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that it may be amended by holders of a majority of our common stock, subject to applicable provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes (the “NRS”), or applicable stock exchange rules. Our sponsor, who will collectively beneficially own 24.7% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (i) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. |
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| Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination | On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us, other than the funds that the trustee will use to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination.” We will use the remaining funds to pay I-Bankers and the advisor of our choice (who is a member of FINRA or regulated broker-dealer) their M&A fee, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. | |
| If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. | ||
| Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination | Unless our amended and restated articles of incorporation are further amended, we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights with respect to our rights and the founder shares, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our business combination within the 18-month time period. | |
| Our sponsor, officers and directors and I-Bankers have waived all redemption rights and rights to any distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and Representative Shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, officers and directors and I-Bankers acquire public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to the redemption rights from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 18-month time frame. | ||
| I-Bankers will not receive the M&A fee that is held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination. |
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| Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (i) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). | ||
| Limited payments to insiders | There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements, non-cash payments or cash payments made to our sponsor, officers and directors, or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination: |
| ● |
Payment to one of our officers of up to $5,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services; | |
| ● | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and | |
| ● | Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor, officers and directors (or their affiliates) to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit but not sooner than 60 (sixty) days after the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. |
| Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. | ||
| Audit Committee | Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, we will have established and will maintain an audit committee to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” |
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| Conflicts of Interest | Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor these obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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.
Certain members of our sponsor are associated persons of I-Bankers, the representative of the underwriters in this offering. These members own approximately 52.2% of our sponsor which owns 100% of our stock prior to this offering. In addition, we will pay I-Bankers the M&A fee for assisting us in connection with our business combination upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an aggregate amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from this offering. Further, we will pay I-Bankers a finder’s fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the initial business combination is consummated with a target introduced by I-Bankers. As a result, I-Bankers is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of Rule 5121 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA Rule 5121”). Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. Rule 5121 requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and prospectus and exercise the usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. has agreed to act as a “qualified independent underwriter” for this offering. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. will receive $25,000 for acting as a qualified independent underwriter and will receive 25,000 Representative shares. We have agreed to indemnify Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. against certain liabilities incurred in connection with acting as a “qualified independent underwriter,” including liabilities under the Securities Act. In addition, no underwriter with a conflict of interest will confirm sales to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the specific prior written approval of the account holder. | |
| Indemnity | Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.05 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be released to us to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. | |
| We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, and our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. We believe the likelihood of our sponsor having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. |
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Risks
We are a company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors.”
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
| ● | Our public 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. | |
| ● | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote. | |
| ● | 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, unless we seek stockholder approval of the 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. | |
| ● | 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 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 stock. | |
| ● | The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would optimize value for our stockholders. | |
| ● | We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate. | |
| ● | The coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, including the efforts to mitigate its impact, has and may continue to have a material adverse effect on our search for a business combination, as well as any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination. | |
| ● | If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed. | |
| ● | 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 15% or more of our common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares equal to or in excess of 15% of our common stock. |
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| ● | We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting 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 company from a financial point of view. | |
| ● | We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers and directors which may raise potential conflicts of interest. | |
| ● | We will likely only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability. | |
| ● | As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive target businesses. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a suitable target business or to consummate an initial business combination. | |
| ● | Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination. | |
| ● | We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price that is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time. | |
| ● | Past performance by our management team and their affiliates, including investment and transaction in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associate, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company. | |
| ● | 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. | |
| ● | Certain of our executive officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us following our initial business combination and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. | |
| ● | Since our sponsor, of which our executive officers and directors are members, will lose its entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination. | |
| ● | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock. | |
| ● | Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $3,000, or approximately $0.0009 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our common stock. | |
| ● | Provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and Nevada law may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. | |
| ● | The excise tax included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 may decrease the value of our securities following our initial business combination, hinder our ability to consummate an initial business combination, and decrease the amount of funds available for distribution in connection with a liquidation. |
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The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
| September 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Actual | As adjusted | |||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | ||||||||
| Working capital (deficiency)(1) | $ | (5,434 | ) | 98,194,566 | ||||
| Total assets(2) | $ | 52,553 | 101,94,566 | |||||
| Total liabilities(3) | $ | 57,987 | 3,500,000 | |||||
| Value of common stock that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination ($10.05 per share)(4) | $ | — | 100,500,000 | |||||
| Stockholder’s deficits(5) | $ | (5,434 | ) | (2,305,434 | ) | |||
(1) |
The “as adjusted” amount equals $100,500,000 cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the placement units (assuming no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option), plus $1,200,000 of cash available outside of the trust, plus $(5,434) of working capital deficit on September 30, 2023, less $3,500,000 of business combination marketing fees. |
(2) |
The “as adjusted” amount equals $100,500,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, plus $1,200,000 in cash held outside the trust account, plus $(5,434) of working capital deficit on September 30, 2023. |
(3) |
The “as adjusted” calculation includes $3,500,000 of business combination marketing fees, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, which will be repaid upon completion of an initial business combination. |
(4) |
The “as adjusted” amount includes all public shares included in the units sold in this offering that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share), assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised. |
(5) |
Excludes 10,000,000 shares of common stock sold in the offering which are subject to redemption in connection with our initial business combination. The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of shares of common stock that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share). |
The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units in this offering and the sale of the private placement units. The “as adjusted” total assets amount includes the $100,500,000 held in the trust account (if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised) for the benefit of our public stockholders, which amount will be available to us only upon the completion of our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the M&A fee.
If no business combination is completed within 18 months from the closing of this offering (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders), the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our sponsor and I-Bankers have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and Representative Shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such 18-month time period.
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An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to Our Search For, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive target businesses. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a suitable target business or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential target businesses for blank check companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many blank check companies preparing and seeking target businesses for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available, and it may require more time, more effort and more resources to identify a suitable target and to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are more blank check companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets businesses, the competition for available target businesses with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets businesses to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate target businesses post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
We have engaged our underwriters to provide services to us after this offering, and we may engage our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. These financial incentives will cause our underwriters to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We will pay I-Bankers the M&A fee for assisting us in connection with our business combination upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an aggregate amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from this offering. Further, we will pay I-Bankers a finder’s fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the initial business combination is consummated with a target introduced by I-Bankers. These fees have been approved by our board of directors, which includes Ms. Panigone, a former affiliate of our underwriter, although Ms. Panigone was not involved in the negotiation of the foregoing fees. In addition, our sponsor, which is controlled by affiliates of our underwriter, will hold a majority of our common stock prior to this offering and, as such, will have the ability to remove or replace our board of directors prior to this offering. Due to the foregoing relationships, the M&A fee and finder’s fee described above were not entered into on an arm’s length basis. As such, it is possible that the terms were less favorable to us than in a transaction negotiated in an arm’s length transaction. Additionally, pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement, we will be unable to cancel or otherwise modify the terms of the M&A fee and finder’s fee after the offering without renegotiating the terms of the agreement with I-Bankers.
In addition to the foregoing, we may engage our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing transactions. We may pay such underwriters or their respective affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters or their respective affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to the underwriters or their respective affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriting compensation in connection with this offering. Upon the consummation of this offering, we will have a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors, our sponsor will have approximately 24.7% ownership of our common stock, and, as such, we believe any transactions between us and our underwriter will be conducted on an arm’s length basis. However, due to the relationship between our sponsor and our underwriter, any negotiations between our company and our underwriter may be deemed not to have been entered into on an arm’s length basis. Such underwriters or their respective affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction will give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may not be able to complete an initial business combination with certain potential target companies if a proposed transaction with the target company may be subject to review or approval by regulatory authorities pursuant to certain U.S. or foreign laws or regulations.
Certain acquisitions or business combinations may be subject to review or approval by regulatory authorities pursuant to certain U.S. or foreign laws or regulations. In the event that such regulatory approval or clearance is not obtained, or the review process is extended beyond the period of time that would permit an initial business combination to be consummated with us, we may not be able to consummate a business combination with such target.
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Among other things, the U.S. Federal Communications Act prohibits foreign individuals, governments, and corporations from owning more than a specified percentage of the capital stock of a broadcast, common carrier, or aeronautical radio station licensee. In addition, U.S. law currently restricts foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. In the United States, certain mergers that may affect competition may require certain filings and review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, and investments or acquisitions that may affect national security are subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). CFIUS is an interagency committee authorized to review certain transactions involving foreign investment in the United States by foreign persons in order to determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States.
Outside the United States, laws or regulations may affect our ability to consummate a Business Combination with potential target companies incorporated or having business operations in jurisdiction where national security considerations, involvement in regulated industries (including telecommunications), or in businesses relating to a country’s culture or heritage may be implicated. Our sponsor is a U.S. entity, and the managing member of our sponsor is a U.S. person. Our sponsor is not controlled by and does not have substantial ties with a non-U.S. person.
U.S. and foreign regulators generally have the power to deny the ability of the parties to consummate a transaction or to condition approval of a transaction on specified terms and conditions, which may not be acceptable to us or a target. In such event, we may not be able to consummate a transaction with that potential target.
As a result of these various restrictions, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete an initial business combination could be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other SPACs which do not have similar foreign ownership issues. Moreover, the process of government review, whether by CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our initial business combination, our failure to obtain any required approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we liquidate, our public stockholders may only receive $10.05 per share, and our rights will expire worthless. This will also cause you to lose any potential investment opportunity in a target company and the chance of realizing future gains on your investment through any price appreciation in the combined company.
I-Bankers may have a conflict of interest in rendering services to us in connection with our initial business combination.
We have engaged I-Bankers to assist us in connection with our initial business combination. We will pay I-Bankers the M&A fee for such services upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an aggregate amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from this offering. In addition, we will pay I-Bankers a finder’s fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the initial business combination is consummated with a target introduced by I-Bankers. These fees have been approved by our board of directors, which includes Ms. Panigone, a former affiliate of our underwriter, although Ms. Panigone was not involved in the negotiation of the foregoing fees. In addition, our sponsor, which is controlled by affiliates of our underwriter, will hold a majority of our common stock prior to this offering and, as such, will have the ability to remove or replace our board of directors prior to this offering. Due to the foregoing relationships, the M&A fee and finder’s fee described above were not entered into on an arm’s length basis. As such, it is possible that the terms were less favorable to us than in a transaction negotiated in an arm’s length transaction. Additionally, pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement, we will be unable to cancel or otherwise modify the terms of the M&A fee and finder’s fee after the offering without renegotiating the terms of the agreement with I-Bankers. The Representative shares owned, and the private placement units indirectly owned through the sponsor by I-Bankers will be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. These financial interests may result in I-Bankers having a conflict of interest when providing the services to us in connection with an initial business combination.
We would be subject to a second level of U.S. federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company (a “PHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (i) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (ii) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).
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Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our sponsor and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts, more than 50% of our stock may be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by five or fewer such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not become a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.
Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for blank check companies has changed in ways adverse to us and our officers and directors. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These trends may continue into the future.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and consummate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post business combination entity’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our stockholders.
We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price that is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.05 per share or which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time, which is generally approximately $10.05. The purpose of such issuances will be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity to the post-business combination entity. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time.
Our public 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 not hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable state law or the rules of Nasdaq or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, the Nasdaq rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination. However, except for as required by law, 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 consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock do not approve of the business combination we consummate. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business — Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Unlike many other blank check companies in which the sponsor, officers and directors agree to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the public stockholders in connection with an initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares, and any public shares purchased during or after this offering, in favor of our initial business combination. Our sponsor will own 24.7% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of this offering. As a result, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would need 3,129,745, or approximately 31.3%, of the 10,000,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). Furthermore, assuming only the minimum number of stockholders required to be present at the stockholders’ meeting held to approve our initial business combination are present at such meeting, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would not need any of the 10,000,000 public shares sold as part of the units in this offering, to be voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). In addition, in the event that our board of directors amends our bylaws to reduce the number of shares required to be present at a meeting of our stockholders, we would need even fewer public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination to have such transaction approved.
Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary stockholder approval will be received than would be the case if our sponsor and I-Bankers agreed to vote their shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public stockholders.
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, unless we seek stockholder approval of the business combination.
At the time of your investment in us, you may not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of one or more target businesses. 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, if we do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our 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 a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public 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. The amount of the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination and such amount of the M&A fee is not available for us to use as consideration in an initial business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us. If we are able to consummate an initial business combination, the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming stockholders will reflect our obligation to pay the M&A fee.
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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 business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The amount of the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure, or may incentivize us to structure a transaction whereby we issue shares to new investors and not to sellers of target businesses.
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 stock.
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 stock in the open market; however, at such time our stock 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 our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would optimize 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering. 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.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.05 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances.
We must complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Furthermore, our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein, including the impact of events such as the wars involving Russia and Ukraine, and in the Middle East.
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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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to pay and adequately provide for the liabilities and obligations of the Company and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.05 per share and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share on the redemption of their shares.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares 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. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement 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 our sponsor, directors, 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 such purchases 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 business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of a business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. 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.
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In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our common stock and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. However, in the event we conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, if our sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase shares or units from public stockholders, such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
| ● | the Company’s registration statement/proxy statement filed for its business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates may purchase shares from public stockholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; | |
| ● | if the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates were to purchase shares from public stockholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through the Company’s redemption process; | |
| ● | the Company’s registration statement/proxy statement filed for its business combination transaction would include a representation that any of the Company’s securities purchased by the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction; | |
| ● | the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to the Company’s securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and | |
| ● | the Company would disclose in its Form 8-K, before to the Company’s security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items: |
| ● | the amount of the Company’s securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates, along with the purchase price; | |
| ● | the purpose of the purchases by the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates; | |
| ● | the impact, if any, of the purchases by the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; | |
| ● | the identities of Company security holders who sold to the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of Company security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to the Company’s sponsor, directors, officers, I-Bankers, advisors or their or its respective affiliates; and | |
| ● | the number of Company securities for which the Company has received redemption requests pursuant to its redemption offer. |
If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, 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 redeem public shares. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Business Strategy — Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights.”
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units sold in this offering will be immediately tradable. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
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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 15% or more of our common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares equal to or in excess of 15% of our 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 articles of incorporation will provide 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 an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering, 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 business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our 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 business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares equal to or exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock 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 approximately $10.05 per share, on our redemption, and our rights will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, if we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of common stock redeemed and, in the event we seek stockholder approval of our business combination, we make purchases of our common stock, the resources available to us for our initial business combination will potentially be reduced. 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 approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least 18 months following the closing of this offering, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.05 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our rights will expire worthless.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least 18 months following the closing of this offering, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least 18 months following the closing of this offering; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
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If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, only approximately $1.2 million, or $1.08 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements after the payment of expenses relating to this offering and the payment of liability insurance premiums for D&O insurance. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.05 per share on our redemption of our public shares, and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in companies 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 acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our 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 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 tender offer materials or proxy statement relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
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Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
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 receive only approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting 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 company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our business combination with an affiliated entity, or our board cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company 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 tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights 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 receive only approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
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’ management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the 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 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 tender offer materials or proxy statement relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
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The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers and directors which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting our initial business combination — Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or from an independent accounting firm, regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our executive officers or directors, 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.
We will likely only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
| ● | 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.
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We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our initial 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 an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with an initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on stockholders.
We may effect a business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located or reincorporate in another jurisdiction. Such transactions may result in tax liability for a stockholder in the jurisdiction in which the stockholder is a tax resident (or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity), in which the target company is located, or in which we reincorporate. We do not intend to make any cash distribution to stockholders to pay such taxes. Stockholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public 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 transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of 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 common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of 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 stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business. We 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.
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We do not have 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 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination. 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 do not agree.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will 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 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (such that we become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. 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 our sponsor, officers or directors, or their advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Such additional financing may be in the form of PIPE transactions. These financing transactions are designed to ensure a return on investment to the investor in exchange for assisting the company in completing the business combination or providing sufficient liquidity to the post-combination company. These financing transactions may be significantly dilutive to the post-combination company, and represent the type of financing risk that is not associated with traditional IPOs.
In addition to cash needs described above, we will pay I-Bankers the M&A fee upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an aggregate amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from this offering and we may pay I-Bankers a finder’s fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the initial business combination is consummated with a target introduced by I-Bankers. These cash payments will be paid at the time of the business combination and will further increase the amount of cash we will need to complete our initial business combination.
We cannot assure you that additional 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. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our 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 business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.05 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.05 per share upon our liquidation.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), or international financial reporting standards depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”). These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate our initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the status of the debt and equity capital markets.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a widespread health crisis and adversely affected economies and financial markets in the U.S. and worldwide, and could continue to adversely affect the business of any potential target company with which we consummate a business combination. In addition, our ability to complete a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 or other global pandemics and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
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 or other global pandemics and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 or other global pandemics may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross-border transactions.
Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company
Subsequent to the 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 our stock price, 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 surface all material issues that may be present inside 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 post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the 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 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 tender offer materials or proxy statement relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
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Because we are not limited to a particular industry or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’ operations.
Because we are not limited to a particular industry, we may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated articles of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’ operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the 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 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 tender offer materials or proxy statement relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
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 this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
| ● | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; | |
| ● | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; | |
| ● | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; | |
| ● | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding; | |
| ● | our inability to pay dividends on our 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 common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; | |
| ● | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; | |
| ● | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; | |
| ● | 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; and | |
| ● | other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
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If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
| ● | higher costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations and complying with different commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets; | |
| ● | rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; | |
| ● | laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected; | |
| ● | 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; | |
| ● | longer payment cycles; | |
| ● | tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; | |
| ● | currency fluctuations and exchange controls; | |
| ● | rates of inflation; | |
| ● | challenges in collecting accounts receivable; | |
| ● | cultural and language differences; | |
| ● | employment regulations; | |
| ● | underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems; | |
| ● | corruption; | |
| ● | protection of intellectual property; | |
| ● | social unrest, crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, regime changes, political upheaval, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars; | |
| ● | deterioration of political relations with the United States; and | |
| ● | government appropriation of assets. |
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with U.S. securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, any or all of our management could resign from their positions as officers of the Company, and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with U.S. securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with U.S. securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
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Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early-stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
Risks Relating to our Management and Directors
Past performance by our management team, including investments and transactions which they have participated in and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience and performance of our management team is not a guarantee either: (a) that we will be able to successfully identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination; or (b) of any results with respect to any initial business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team’s performance as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. The market price of our securities may be influenced by numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, and our stockholders may experience losses on their investment in our securities.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our 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 management 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.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally 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.
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Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with the 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. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
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. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. 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. For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management — Directors and Executive Officers.”
Certain of our executive officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us following our initial business combination and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our executive officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us following our initial business combination. See a description of our executive officers’ and directors’ current affiliations under the headings “Management” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest” below.
Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. For example, certain members of our management team presently has, and in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities. 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 articles of incorporation will provide 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.
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For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see “Management — Directors and Executive Officers,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
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 executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our directors or executive officers, although we do not currently 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.
Since our sponsor, of which our executive officers and directors are members, will lose its entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will hold 3,243,590 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $3,000, or approximately $0.0009 per share (up to 423,077 of which are subject to forfeiture). The founder shares held by our sponsor will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor will purchase 570,000 private placement units, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,700,000 (or 610,500 private placement units, for an aggregate purchase price of $6,105,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). All of the foregoing private placement units will also be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our sponsor, of which our executive officers and directors are members, may influence our executive officers and directors 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 this offering nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.
Since our sponsor, executive officers and directors will not be eligible to be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses if our business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
At the closing of our initial business combination, our 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. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf. These financial interests of our sponsor, executive officers and directors, may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination and completing an initial business combination.
Risks Relating to Our Securities
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or rights, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (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 articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Stockholders who do not exercise their rights to the funds in connection with an amendment to our articles of incorporation would still have rights to the funds in connection with a subsequent business combination. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or rights, potentially at a loss.
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NASDAQ may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We intend to apply to have our units listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our common stock and rights listed on or promptly after their date of separation. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. 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. 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 common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our 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. |
Holders of rights will not have redemption rights.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the funds held in the trust account, the rights will expire and holders will not receive any of the amounts held in the trust account in exchange for such rights.
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 $10.05 per share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to 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 perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. We are not aware of any product or service providers who have not or will not provide such waiver other than the underwriters of this offering.
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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 business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our 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 $10.05 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.05 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, and our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the aggregate value of the assets held in the trust account such that the per share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than your anticipated per share redemption amount.
The funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds that meet certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and that invest only in direct U.S. government obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury bills currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income not released to us, net of taxes payable. Negative interest rates could impact the per share redemption amount that may be received by public stockholders.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.05 per share or (ii) other than due to the failure to obtain a waiver from a vendor 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 lesser amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.05 per share.
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We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage 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.
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 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, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
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.
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 NRS, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. A claim against a stockholder may be brought so long as it is either: (i) commenced within 2 years after the date of the dissolution with respect to any remedy or cause of action in which the plaintiff learns, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have learned of, the underlying facts on or before the date of dissolution, or (ii) within three years after the date of dissolution with respect to any other remedy or cause of action. In order to dissolve the Company, the directors and stockholders will need to first approve the dissolution. Following approval, and after paying or adequately providing for the liabilities and obligations of the Company, the trustees of the dissolved Company may sell and distribute the remaining assets to the stockholders of the liquidated Company, in proportion to their interest therein. Under Nevada law, a stockholder is not liable for any claim against the Company in an amount in excess of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount so distributed to such stockholder in the dissolution, whichever is less. While the redemption of the Company’s public shares would occur prior to any dissolution, a court may still determine that the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of the Company’s public shares is a liquidation distribution under Nevada law. If a court were to make this determination, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more). The statute of limitations for claims of creditors could be up to three years.
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We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after our consummation of a business combination and you will not be entitled to any of the corporate protections provided by such a meeting.
In accordance with the 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. Under NRS 78.330, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with the Company’s 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 NRS 78.330, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to our consummation of a business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the county in which the registered office of the corporation is located in accordance with NRS 78.345. Until we hold an annual meeting of stockholders, public stockholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the completion of an initial business combination.
The grant of registration rights to our sponsor and holders of our private placement units 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 common stock.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our sponsor and its permitted transferees can demand that we register their shares of our common stock at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, holders of our private placement units (and underlying shares of common stock) and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement units and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement units, and holders of securities that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such units or the common stock issuable upon exercise of such units. 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 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 common stock that is expected when the common stock owned by our sponsor, holders of our private placement units or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
We may issue additional shares of common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination, and any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 86,259,487 shares (assuming that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued shares of common stock available for issuance, which amount does not take into account the shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon conversion of outstanding rights. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
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We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock, and may issue shares of preferred stock, in order to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination (although our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that we may not issue securities that can vote with common stockholders on matters related to our pre-business combination activity). The price at which we issue any shares may be lower than the price you paid for the units in this offering or at a price lower than the trading price of our common stock at the time we commit to such issuance or at the actual issuance of such shares. However, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote. However, our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; | |
| ● | may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock; | |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of 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, common stock and/or rights. |
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated articles 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, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time period in which the company must consummate its initial business combination. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without stockholder approval.
Certain agreements, including the underwriting agreement relating to this offering, the investment management trust agreement between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the letter agreements and the registration rights agreement among us and our sponsor, executive officers and directors, and the administrative services agreement between us and an affiliate of our officers may be amended without stockholder approval. These agreements contain various provisions that our public stockholders might deem to be material. 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 in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Any such amendment may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
Our sponsor controls 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.
Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will own 24.7% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock assuming it does not purchase units in this offering. Accordingly, our sponsor 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 articles of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our sponsor purchases any units in this offering or additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase its influence.
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Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $3,000, or approximately $0.0009 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the common stock and none to the rights included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the rights included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 105.29% (or $9.57 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering of negative $0.48 and the initial offering price of $9.09 per unit (including the common stock issuable upon conversion of the rights).
Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $3,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.0009 per founder share. As a result of this low initial price, our sponsor, which includes our management team and advisors, stands to make a substantial profit even if an initial business combination subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public stockholders.
As a result of the low acquisition cost of our founder shares, our sponsor, which includes our management team and advisors could make a substantial profit even if we select and consummate an initial business combination with an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public stockholders. Thus, such parties may have more of an economic incentive for us to enter into an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker-performing or financially unstable business, or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, than would be the case if such parties had paid the full offering price for their founder shares.
We may amend the terms of the rights in a manner that may be adverse to holders of rights with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding rights.
Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding rights to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of rights. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the rights in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding rights approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the rights with the consent of at least 65% of the then outstanding rights is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, adjust the conversion ratio of such rights.
Our rights and private placement rights may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing rights that convert into 1,000,000 shares of our common stock (or up to 1,150,000 shares of common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing an aggregate of 570,000 private placement units (or 610,500 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement to our sponsor. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible, at the option of the lender, into private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit of the post business combination entity. To the extent we issue shares of common stock to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of common stock upon exercise of these rights and private placement rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such rights, if and when exercised, would increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock and reduce the value of the shares of common stock issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our rights and private placement rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
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The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.05 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $3,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.0009 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, due to the founder shares. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the founder shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, assuming that our equity value at that time is $97.0 million, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account after payment of $3.5 million for the M&A fee, assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised, none of the rights are converted into common stock, no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs, any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects, as well as the value of our private placement units. At such valuation, each of our shares of common stock would have an implied value of $7.06 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which would be a 29.4% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00 (the price per unit in this offering, assuming no value to the rights).
| Public shares | 10,000,000 | |||
| Founder shares | 2,820,513 | |||
| Private placement shares | 570,000 | |||
| Representative shares | 350,000 | |||
| Total shares | 13,740,513 | |||
| Total funds in trust available for initial business combination (less the M&A fee) | $ | 97,000,000 | ||
| Initial implied value per public share | $ | 10.05 | ||
| Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination | $ | 7.06 |
The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our common stock at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
Upon the closing of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $5,703,000, comprised of the $3,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $5,700,000 purchase price for the private placement units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 2,820,513 founder shares, 570,000 shares of common stock underlying the private placement units and 57,000 shares of common stock to be issued upon conversion of the private placement rights would have an aggregate implied value of $34,475,130. Even if the trading price of our common stock was as low as $1.65 per share, the value of the founder shares and private placement securities would be approximately equal to our sponsor’s initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is likely to be able to recoup its investment in us and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, our management team, which are members of our sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the public stockholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the trust to the public stockholders, even if that business combination were with a riskier or less-established target business. For the foregoing reasons, you should consider our management team’s financial incentive to complete an initial business combination when evaluating whether to redeem your shares prior to or in connection with the initial business combination.
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The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the rights were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed it reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the common stock and rights underlying the units, include:
| ● | the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; | |
| ● | prior offerings of those companies; | |
| ● | our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; | |
| ● | a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions; | |
| ● | our capital structure; | |
| ● | an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; | |
| ● | general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and | |
| ● | other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
Provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and Nevada law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include 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 Nevada law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions 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.
Forum selection provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and Nevada law may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will require, 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 NRS or our amended and restated articles 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 state court in the State of Nevada, except any claim (A) as to which the courts in the State of Nevada determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the court within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the courts in the State of Nevada, (C) for which the courts in the State of Nevada does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the courts in the State of Nevada and the federal district court shall have concurrent jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Nevada, 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 Nevada 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.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Nevada law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.
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 rights 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.
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 may result in the imposition of an excise tax on the Company and may decrease the value of our securities following our initial business combination, hinder our ability to consummate an initial business combination, and decrease the amount of funds available for distribution in connection with a liquidation.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into federal law. The Inflation Reduction Act provides for, among other things, a U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases of stock by publicly traded U.S. domestic corporations and certain U.S. domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations, with certain exceptions. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its stockholders from which shares are repurchased. 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. Because we are a Nevada corporation and our securities will trade on Nasdaq following the date of this prospectus, we will be a “covered corporation” within the meaning of the Inflation Reduction Act following this offering and while not free from doubt, it is possible that the excise tax will apply to any redemptions of our common stock, including redemptions in connection with an initial business combination, unless an exemption is available. Whether and to what extent the Company would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a business combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the business combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a business combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a business combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a “business combination” but issued within the same taxable year of a business combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. The foregoing could cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete a business combination and in the Company’s ability to complete a business combination. Consequently, the value of your investment in our securities may decrease as a result of the excise tax. In addition, the excise tax may make a transaction with us less appealing to potential business combination targets, and thus, potentially hinder our ability to enter into and consummate an initial business combination.
The U.S. Department of 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 and, on December 27, 2022, released Notice 2023-2, which provides taxpayers with interim guidance on the 1% excise tax that may be relied upon until the U.S. Internal Revenue Service issues proposed Treasury regulations on such matter. Notice 2023-2 includes as one of its exceptions to the 1% excise tax, a distribution in complete liquidation of a “covered corporation” to which Section 331 of the Code applies (so long as Section 332(a) of the Code also does not apply). Consequently, we would not expect the 1% excise tax to apply if there is a complete liquidation of our public shares under Section 331 of the Code. Nonetheless, we are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interest earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes in nature that may be imposed on the company pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act on any redemptions or stock buybacks by our company.
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General Risks
We are a 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 company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
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 business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including, without limitation, restrictions on the nature of our investments, and restrictions on the issuance of our securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination. In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including, without limitation, registration as an investment company; adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations to which they are not currently subject.
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. 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. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Because the investment of the proceeds will be restricted to these instruments, we believe we will meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to offer redemption rights in connection with any proposed initial business combination or certain amendments to our charter prior thereto or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the combination period; (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within the combination period, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. Stockholders who do not exercise their redemption rights in connection with an amendment to our articles of incorporation would still be able to exercise their redemption rights in connection with a subsequent business combination. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be an investment company and this to be subject to the Investment Company Act.
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We are aware of litigation against certain SPACs asserting that, notwithstanding the foregoing, those special purpose acquisition companies should be considered investment companies. Although we believe that these claims are without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be considered an investment company and thus be subject to the Investment Company Act.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other matters, the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. The SEC’s proposed rule under the Investment Company Act would provide a safe harbor for SPACs from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. The duration component of the proposed safe harbor rule would require a SPAC to file a report on Form 8-K with the Commission announcing that it has entered into an agreement with the target company (or companies) to engage in an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of the SPAC’s registration statement for its initial public offering. The SPAC would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of its registration statement for its initial public offering. Although that proposed safe harbor rule has not yet been adopted, the SEC has indicated that there are serious questions concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC that does not complete its initial business combination within the proposed time frame set forth in the proposed safe harbor rule.
Although we intend to comply with the terms of the proposed safe harbor rule, if we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and could increase the costs and time needed to complete a business combination or impair our ability to consummate a business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the combination period, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.05 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit among the share of common stock and the right included in each unit could be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or the courts. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our shares of common stock suspend the running of a U.S. holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of common stock is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividends” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See the section titled “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
Market conditions, economic uncertainty or downturns could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and our ability to consummate a business combination.
In recent years, the United States and other markets have experienced cyclical or episodic downturns, and worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, conflicts in the Middle East, instability in the U.S. and global banking systems, rising fuel prices, increasing interest rates or foreign exchange rates and high inflation and the possibility of a recession.
A significant downturn in economic activity, particular affecting the real estate market, may cause potential targets to react by reducing their capital and operating expenditures in general or by specifically reducing their spending on their real estate development plans and related technologies.
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We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any economic slowdown or any subsequent recovery generally, or in any industry. If the conditions in the general economy and the markets in which we operate worsen from present levels, our business, financial condition, and operating results and our ability to consummate a business combination could be adversely affected. For example, in January 2023, the outstanding national debt of the U.S. government reached its statutory limit. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that, since then, it has been using extraordinary measures to prevent the U.S. government’s default on its payment obligations, and to extend the time that the U.S. government has to raise its statutory debt limit or otherwise resolve its funding situation. The failure by Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling could have severe repercussions within the U.S. and to global credit and financial markets. If Congress does not raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. government could default on its payment obligations, or experience delays in making payments when due. A payment default or delay by the U.S. government, or continued uncertainty surrounding the U.S. debt ceiling, could result in a variety of adverse effects for financial markets, market participants and U.S. and global economic conditions. In addition, U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit concerns have increased the possibility a downgrade in the credit rating of the U.S. government and could result in economic slowdowns or a recession in the U.S. Although U.S. lawmakers have passed legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling on multiple occasions, ratings agencies have lowered or threatened to lower the long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States as a result of disputes over the debt ceiling. The impact of a potential downgrade to the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or its perceived creditworthiness could adversely affect economic conditions, as well as our business, financial condition, operating results and our ability to consummate a business combination.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments 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 and results of operations.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other items, enhancing disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; amending the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; effectively limiting the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; increasing the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940. These rules, if adopted, whether in the form proposed or in revised form, may materially adversely affect our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and may increase the costs and time related thereto.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Stockholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
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We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, which 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 intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a 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 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 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.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer 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 company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some statements contained in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; | |
| ● | our ability to complete our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; | |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements; | |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our pool of prospective target businesses; | |
| ● | 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 following this offering. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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We are offering 10,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement units will be used as set forth in the following table.
Without Over-Allotment Option |
Over-Allotment Option Exercised |
|||||||
| Gross proceeds | ||||||||
| Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) | $ | 100,000,000 | $ | 115,000,000 | ||||
| Gross proceeds from private placement units offered in the private placement | 5,700,000 | 6,105,000 | ||||||
| Total gross proceeds | $ | 105,700,000 | $ | 121,105,000 | ||||
| Estimated Offering expenses | ||||||||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions (3% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, includes qualified independent underwriter fees, excludes M&A fee)(2) | 3,000,000 | 3,450,000 | ||||||
| Legal fees and expenses | 200,000 | 200,000 | ||||||
| Nasdaq listing and filing fees | 75,000 | 75,000 | ||||||
| Printing and EDGAR filing fees | 20,000 | 20,000 | ||||||
| Accounting fees and expenses | 45,000 | 45,000 | ||||||
| SEC registration fees and FINRA filing fees | 35,000 | 35,000 | ||||||
| Directors and Officers insurance | 500,000 | 500,000 | ||||||
| Underwriters and “road show” expenses | 100,000 | 100,000 | ||||||
| Miscellaneous | 25,000 | 25,000 | ||||||
| Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) | $ | 1,000,000 | $ | 1,000,000 | ||||
| Proceeds after offering expenses | $ | 101,700,000 | $ | 116,655,000 | ||||
| Held in trust account | $ | 100,500,000 | $ | 115,575,000 | ||||
| % of public offering size | 100.5 | % | 100.5 | % | ||||
| Not held in trust account | $ | 1,200,000 | $ | 1,080,000 | ||||
The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,200,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised.(3)
| Amount | % of Total | |||||||
| Legal,
accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination |
$ | 800,000 | 66.7 | % | ||||
| Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations | 90,000 | 7.5 | % | |||||
| Payment for office space, administrative and support services | 90,000 | 7.5 | % | |||||
| Nasdaq continued listing fees | 75,000 | 6.2 | % | |||||
| Working capital to cover other miscellaneous expenses | 145,000 | 12.1 | % | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,200,000 | 100.0 | % | ||||
| (1) | Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination. |
| (2) | The M&A fee (in an amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering) payable to I-Bankers upon the closing of our initial business combination pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement with I-Bankers has not been included in the table. |
| (3) | These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring a business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify an acquisition target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and, as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for other expenses. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
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The rules of Nasdaq provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $100,500,000 (or $115,575,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be placed in a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Based on current interest rates, and assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $4,020,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 4% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any. The proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (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 articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law. Based on current interest rates, interest earned on the trust account may not be sufficient to pay taxes.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We have entered into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will pay (commencing at the time of the IPO closing) Christy Albeck, our Chief Financial Officer, a total of up to $5,000 per month. We believe these types of arrangements are customary among many SPACs. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
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In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible, at the option of the lender, into units at a price of $10.00 per unit of the post business combination entity. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares 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 sponsor, 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. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. 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. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of common stock 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.
We will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of the underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) and the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.
If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.
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 our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in an amount as to maintain the ownership of our sponsor prior to this offering at 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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The difference between the public offering price per share of common stock, assuming $0.91 per unit is attributed to the rights included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation includes the dilution associated with the conversion of the rights, as such issuance will occur upon a business combination without the payment of additional consideration, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book deficit, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of our common stock.
At September 30, 2023, our net tangible book deficit was $(5,434), or approximately $(0.00) per share of common stock. For purposes of the dilution calculation, in order to present the maximum estimated dilution as a result of this offering, we have assumed (i) the issuance of 0.10 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur upon a business combination without the payment of additional consideration and (ii) the number of shares included in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 11,000,000 (consisting of 10,000,000 shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and 1,000,000 shares for the outstanding rights), and the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $9.09. After giving effect to the sale of 10,000,000 shares of common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and the sale of the private placement units, and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at September 30, 2023 would have been $(2,305,434) or $(0.48) per share (or $(2,950,434) or $(0.54) per share, if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate decrease in net tangible book value of $(0.48) per share (or $(0.54) per share if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our sponsor as of the date of this prospectus. For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering by $100,500,000 (or $115,575,000 assuming full exercise of the over-allotment option) because holders of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or stockholders meeting, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of shares of common stock sold in this offering).
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per-share basis:
Without Over-allotment |
With Over-allotment |
|||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 9.09 | $ | 9.09 | ||||
| Net tangible book deficit before this offering | (0.00 | ) | (0.00 | ) | ||||
| Decrease attributable to public shares and private placement units | (0.48 | ) | (0.54 | ) | ||||
| Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement units | (0.48 | ) | (0.54 | ) | ||||
| Dilution to public stockholders | $ | 9.57 | $ | 9.63 | ||||
| Percentage of dilution to new investors | 105.29 | % | 105.94 | % | ||||
The following table sets forth information with respect to our sponsor and the public stockholders:
| Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price per |
||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | share | ||||||||||||||||
| Sponsor(1) | 2,820,513 | 19.06 | % | $ | 3,000 | 0.003 | % | $ | 0.0011 | |||||||||||
| Representative shares | 350,000 | 2.37 | % | - | 0.00 | % | $ | 0.00 | ||||||||||||
| Private placement units(2) | 627,000 | 4.24 | % | $ | 5,700,000 | 5.392 | % | $ | 9.09 | |||||||||||
| Public stockholders(3) | 11,000,000 | 74.34 | % | 100,000,000 | 94.605 | % | $ | 9.09 | ||||||||||||
| 14,797,513 | 100.0 | % | $ | 105,703,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||||||
| (1) | Assumes the full forfeiture of 423,077 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| (2) | Includes the issuance of an additional 57,000 shares underlying the private placement rights. |
| (3) | Includes the issuance of an additional 1,000,000 shares underlying the rights contained in the public units. |
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
Without Over-allotment |
With Over-allotment |
|||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||
| Net tangible book deficit before this offering | $ | (5,434 | ) | $ | (5,434 | ) | ||
| Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement units | 101,700,000 | 116,655,000 | ||||||
| Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book deficit before this offering | - | - | ||||||
| Less: business combination marketing fees payable | (3,500,000 | ) | (4,025,000 | ) | ||||
| Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to possible redemption | (100,500,000 | ) | (115,575,000 | ) | ||||
| $ | (2,305,434 | ) | $ | (2,950,434 | ) | |||
| Denominator: | ||||||||
| Common stock outstanding prior to this offering | 3,243,590 | 3,243,590 | ||||||
| Common stock forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised | (423,077 | ) | — | |||||
| Common stock included in the private placement units | 570,000 | 610,500 | ||||||
| Common stock underlying rights in the private placement units | 57,000 | 61,050 | ||||||
| Common stock included in the units offered | 10,000,000 | 11,500,000 | ||||||
| Common stock underlying rights in the units offered | 1,000,000 | 1,150,000 | ||||||
| Representative shares | 350,000 | 395,000 | ||||||
| Less: Shares subject to possible redemption | (10,000,000 | ) | (11,500,000 | ) | ||||
| 4,797,513 | 5,460,140 | |||||||
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The following table sets forth our capitalization at September 30, 2023, and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of 10,000,000 units in this offering for $100,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 570,000 private placement units for $5,700,000 (or $10.00 per private placement unit) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
| Actual | As Adjusted(1) | |||||||
| M&A fee | 3,500,000 | |||||||
| Common stock subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value, -0-, and 10,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption, actual and as adjusted, respectively(2) | — | 100,500,000 | ||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized; -0- issued and outstanding (actual and adjusted) | — | — | ||||||
| Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 3,243,590 and 3,740,513 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively | 324 | 374 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 2,676 | — | ||||||
| Accumulated deficits(3) | (8,434 | ) | (2,305,808 | ) | ||||
| Total stockholder’s deficits | $ | (5,434 | ) | $ | (2,305,434 | ) | ||
| Total capitalization | $ | (5,434 | ) | $ | 101,694,566 | |||
| (1) | Assumes the full forfeiture of 423,077 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the initial business combination. |
| (2) | All of the 10,000,000 shares of common stock sold as part of the units in the offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares (which is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share) in connection with our liquidation, if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in connection with our initial business combination and in connection with certain amendments to our amended and restated articles of incorporation. In accordance with SEC and its guidance on redeemable equity instruments, which has been codified in ASC 480-10-S99, redemption provisions not solely within the control of a company require common stock subject to redemption to be classified outside of permanent equity. Accordingly, all of the outstanding common stock is presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet. Given that the 10,000,000 shares of common stock sold as part of the units in the offering will be issued with other freestanding instruments (i.e., rights), the initial carrying value of common stock classified as temporary equity will be the allocated proceeds determined in accordance with ASC 470-20. The resulting discount to the initial carrying value of temporary equity will be accreted upon closing this offering such that the carrying value will equal the redemption value on such date. The accretion or remeasurement will be recognized as a reduction to retained earnings, or in absence of retained earnings, additional paid-in capital). |
| (3) | As adjusted accumulated deficit includes the immediate accretion of the carry value of common stock subject to redemption value. |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities and activities related to this offering. We have not identified any potential business combination target and we have not initiated any substantive discussions with any potential business combination target.
The issuance of additional shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; | |
| ● | may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if shares of preferred stock are issued with rights senior to those of our common stock; | |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; | |
| ● | may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and | |
| ● | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock and/or rights. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:
| ● | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; | |
| ● | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; | |
| ● | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt 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 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 common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; | |
| ● | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; | |
| ● | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and | |
| ● | limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
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As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at September 30, 2023, we had approximately $52,553 in cash and working capital deficit of approximately $5,434. Further, we expect to incur significant additional offering costs and costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through the payment by our sponsor of $3,000 to purchase the founder shares. Our plans to address the need for capital through this offering. We cannot assure that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. In addition, we are currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our financial position, results its operations and/or search for a target company.
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sales of the units in this offering and the private placement units, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,000,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $3,000,000 (excluding the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers of $3,500,000) will be $101,700,000. $100,500,000 will be held in the trust account, which includes funds for the M&A fee described above. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, we estimate that the net proceeds from the sales of the units in this offering and the private placement units, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,000,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $3,450,000 (excluding the potential M&A fee payable to I-Bankers, collectively, of $4,025,000), will be $116,665,000. $115,575,000 will be held in the trust account, which includes the M&A fee described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. The remaining $1,200,000 (or $1,080,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (excluding the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes and liquidation expenses if we are unsuccessful in completing a business acquisition. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account reduced by our operating expense and franchise taxes. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our equity or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $1,200,000 (or $1,080,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to pay expenses associated with being a public company and to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.
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We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to our initial business combination. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or one of its affiliates or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts (subject to the conversion rights described below). In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may at the option of the lender determined at the time of the loan be convertible into private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit of the post business combination entity. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or its affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during the period after this offering and prior to our initial business combination to include approximately $800,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $90,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $75,000 for Nasdaq continued listing fees; $90,000 for office space, secretarial and administrative services; and approximately $145,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
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Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to certify an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
| ● | staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; | |
| ● | reconciliation of accounts; | |
| ● | proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; | |
| ● | evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; | |
| ● | documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and | |
| ● | documentation of accounting policies and procedures. |
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of September 30, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.
JOBS Act
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the independent registered public accounting firm’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
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Our Company
IB Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 7, 2020 and which converted to a Nevada corporation on September 21, 2023. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination.
Our investment strategy is not specific to any sector; however, the management team and board members believe there are compelling investment opportunities in a number of areas including consumer goods, sports and entertainment, and healthcare technology. We anticipate targeting companies domiciled in North America, Europe and Asia, with an enterprise value of at least $500 million.
At the time of preparing this prospectus, we have not identified any specific business combination, nor has anyone on our behalf initiated or engaged in any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, related to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities and activities related to this offering.
Our Management Team and Board of Directors
Our management team and members of our board of directors have significant experience in private investing, corporate finance and restructuring, and executive management in different industries. In addition, due to its geographic diversity, the team’s collective network spans North and South America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
We believe our management, investing, financing and restructuring experience combined with the extensive professional relationships of our team provides us with important competitive advantages for sourcing, pursuing and evaluating an initial business combination within our target universe.
The management team consists of both experienced executives and founders of successful enterprises. The team has extensive networks of relationships with CEOs, founders, family owners and private equity sponsors to create a robust pipeline of opportunities with strong potential.
| ● | Adelmo “Al” Lopez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: Founder of Alma Coffee, former President and CEO of Blair Corporation, and former CFO of Dole Fresh Fruit International. | |
| ● | Christy Albeck, Chief Financial Officer: Founder and CEO of Albeck Financial Services, a consulting firm specializing in pre-audit work for international and domestic public companies and private companies in the process of going public, and Partner with Calabrese Consulting (which acquired Albeck Financial Services in March 2022). | |
| ● | John Joyce, Vice Chairman: Former Chief Financial Officer of IBM, President of Asia Pacific and Head of Global Services, and Managing Director of SilverLake Partners. | |
| ● | Silvia Panigone, Director: CEO of Inhalis Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech developing inhaled drugs for life-threatening diseases, Founder of ADYA, a company focused on corporate strategy counseling, interim management, deal structuring, capital raising at a global level, and former COO at NLS (NASDAQ: NLSP), a listed company in the life sciences sector. | |
| ● | Jian Zhang, Director: CEO and Managing Partner of Yuunnan Xiaosen Venture Capital Co., Ltd., angel investment fund for internet and social media start-ups, and CEO of Hangzhou Hechuang Investment Management Co., Ltd., an investment fund focused on the agricultural sector. | |
| ● | Feng Xiangkun, Advisor: Experienced investor with analyst and fund management experience at State Grid Yingda and YuanDeKun, respectively. Mr. Feng brings with him extensive securities experience as well as a diverse network across the Asian continent. |
We do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business, nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to select or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to select or locate any such acquisition candidate.
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Past performance of our management team, directors or advisors does not guarantee either (i) success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team as indicative of our future performance. Our directors and executive officers may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our executive officers, directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and the company, as well as the priority and preference that such other entities have with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they, in the exercise of their respective business judgment, deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process. We do not have an employment agreement with any member of our management team.
Business Strategy & Acquisition Criteria
We intend to focus on pursuing an acquisition of or merger with high-growth companies in a number of industries including but not limited to fintech, healthcare and life sciences, sports and entertainment, and consumer goods. For owners of high-quality businesses with growth capital needs, we can be a source of non-control capital. We believe a business combination with us may provide a significant monetization event for owners desiring liquidity as well as continued equity participation for those desiring continued ownership. Further, target companies can benefit from access to a public vehicle to support organic and inorganic growth initiatives by combining with us. Our investors can benefit from ownership in a well-capitalized growth-oriented business with a highly motivated management team.
Following our initial business combination, we intend to assist the target company in creating stockholder value which may include through board and/or senior management representation. As a result of our team’s experience, we believe we can add value post-transaction to ensure proper corporate governance and alignment of management incentives, develop an operational and financial strategy to pursue continued organic and inorganic growth initiatives and to assist with capital raising and capital structure optimization.
We will focus our search on targets seeking an investor at a discount to intrinsic value and publicly-traded peers. We have identified the following additional general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition or merger opportunities, but we may ultimately enter into our initial business combination with a company that does not meet any of these criteria and guidelines.
| ● | Enterprise Value: While our ability to raise additional capital from third-parties allows us to seek a much larger business combination, we intend to focus our efforts on seeking and completing an initial business combination with an enterprise that has a value of at least $500 million; | |
| ● | Strong Fundamentals: We expect to primarily target an initial business combination with a fundamentally sound high-growth company in need of growth capital; | |
| ● | Leading Market Position: We intend to pursue companies offering products or services that are leaders in their respective markets with sustainable competitive advantages and natural barriers to market entry; | |
| ● | Cash Flow Generating: We will seek to acquire or merge with an established company with attractive operating margins, positive EBITDA, strong free cash flow generation and solid recurring revenue streams; | |
| ● | Strong Investor Base: We will give preference to companies with a strong base of investors and prospects for new strategically-focused investors; | |
| ● | Strong Management: We will seek to acquire or merge with a target business with an experienced management team and a proven track record of execution; |
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| ● | Public-Company Readiness and Reason to be Public: We intend to acquire a business that is both ready to enter the public markets and can benefit from being publicly-traded and can effectively utilize broader access to capital; | |
| ● | Favorable Outlook: We will seek to acquire or merge with a target business where the end user markets of such target business’ products or services have a favorable growth outlook; | |
| ● | Performance Catalysts: We intend to solicit target companies that have clearly identifiable opportunities to execute on growth initiatives following the initial business combination; and | |
| ● | Market Fragmentation: We will also seek target companies with opportunities for selective strategic acquisitions and partnerships that can complement an organic growth strategy. |
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our advisors or our sponsor officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business, nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to select or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to select or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses might find this method a more certain and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. Furthermore, once the business combination is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business should then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests than it would have as a privately held company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our status as a public company will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view the inherent limitations in our status as a blank check company as a deterrent and may prefer to affect a business combination with a more established entity or with a private company. These inherent limitations include limitations on our available financial resources, which may be inferior to those of other entities pursuing the acquisition of similar target businesses; the requirement that we seek stockholder approval of a business combination or conduct a tender offer in relation thereto, which may delay the consummation of a transaction; and the existence of our outstanding rights, which may represent a source of future dilution.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. In conducting our due diligence review, we intend to leverage the experience of members of our management team, directors, sponsors and advisors on an efficient and cost-effective basis as we deploy them to review matters related to their specific areas of functional expertise.
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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our advisors or our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 3,243,590 of our founder shares for an aggregate of $3,000, or approximately $0.0009 per founder share. As a result of the low acquisition cost of our founder shares, our sponsor, its affiliates and our management team and directors could make a substantial profit even if we select and consummate an initial business combination with an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public stockholders. Thus, such parties may have more of an economic incentive for us to enter into an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker performing or financially unstable business, or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, than would be the case if such parties had paid the full offering price for their founder shares. Additionally, members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination target if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. 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. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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.
Our executive officers are required to commit a significant amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, should not have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combination targets and monitoring the related due diligence.
Initial Business Combination
So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
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We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public 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. However, 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 . 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. 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 and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders).
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $100,500,000 assuming no redemptions (or $115,575,000 assuming no redemptions and the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. This amount includes up to $3,500,000 for the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers (or up to $4,025,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business.
Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
| ● | subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and | |
| ● | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services. |
Limited ability to evaluate the target’s management team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
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We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination
We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Nevada law for each such transaction.
| Type of Transaction | Whether Stockholder Approval is Required | |
| Purchase of assets | No | |
| Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company | No | |
| Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company | No | |
| Merger of the company with a target | Yes |
Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
| ● | we issue shares of common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding (other than in a public offering); | |
| ● | any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of common stock could result in an increase in outstanding common shares or voting power of 5% or more; or | |
| ● | the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
Permitted purchases of our securities
In the event we seek stockholder approval of our business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions.
None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. They will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such 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. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
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In the event that our sponsor, directors, 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. 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.
The purpose of such purchases would be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or (ii) 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. This 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 common stock may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against the business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will not make purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders Upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.05 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers. Our sponsor and I-Bankers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, Representative Shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our business combination, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon the completion of our initial 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 we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock 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 common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation would require stockholder approval. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we would be required to comply with such rules.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation:
| ● | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and | |
| ● | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we or our sponsor, officers and directors will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares which are not purchased by our sponsor, officers and directors, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation:
| ● | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and | |
| ● | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the 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 sponsor, executive officers, I-Bankers, and directors will count toward this quorum and have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our sponsor may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our sponsor and I-Bankers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares, Representative shares and public shares in connection with the completion of a business combination.
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Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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, and all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
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 business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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 Excess Shares. 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 business combination as a means to force us, our sponsor or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem to less than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination.
Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights
We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
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There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass the cost on to the redeeming holder. However, the fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by some blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the stockholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until 18 months from the closing of this offering.
Time to Complete Business Combination
We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination (assuming we do not amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to extend the time we have to complete our initial business combination beyond the initial 18 months from the closing of this offering, which would require a vote of our stockholders).
Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination
Unless the amended and restated articles of incorporation are further amended, we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 18-month 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which interest shall be net of taxes payable) 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 liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our rights and the holders of founder shares, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 18-month time period.
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Our sponsor and I-Bankers have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and Representative shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor or I-Bankers acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 18-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation that would affect (i) the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $1,200,000 (or $1,080,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of proceeds held outside the trust account after the payment of liability insurance premiums for D&O insurance, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.05. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.05. Under NRS 78.590, the process of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where 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. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.05 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, and our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. We believe the likelihood of our sponsor having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.
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In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.05 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.05 per share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,200,000 from the proceeds of this offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
Under the NRS 78.597, 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering may be considered a liquidation distribution under NRS 78.590. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in NRS 78.590 intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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 (net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. 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 for three years following the dissolution.
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NRS 78.585 states that upon our dissolution we will still be responsible for the payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us. 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. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account.
As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is reduced. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.05 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes, and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
If 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, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.05 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if 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. Furthermore, our board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (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 articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above.
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Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. Per our amended and restated articles of incorporation, these provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of at least 65% of our common stock. Our sponsor, who will collectively beneficially own 22.0% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner the sponsor may choose. Specifically, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:
| ● | prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which holders of public shares may seek to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) or (2) provide holders of public shares with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) in each case subject to the limitations described herein; | |
| ● | if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (i) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; | |
| ● | if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; | |
| ● | we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either immediately before or after such consummation and, solely if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination; | |
| ● | we will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. | |
| ● | so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the marketing fee 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; and | |
| ● | prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. |
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the shares of common stock voted by our stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting.
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Comparison of redemption or purchase prices in connection with our initial business combination and if we fail to complete our business combination.
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering.
| Redemptions
in Connection with our Initial Business Combination |
Other
Permitted Purchases of Public Shares by our Affiliates |
Redemptions
if we fail to Complete an Initial Business Combination | ||||
Calculation of redemption price |
Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. In either case, our public stockholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $ 5,000,001 both immediately before and after the consummation of our initial business combination and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. Such purchases will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. | If we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share), including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. |
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| Redemptions
in Connection with our Initial Business Combination |
Other
Permitted Purchases of Public Shares by our Affiliates |
Redemptions
if we fail to Complete an Initial Business Combination | ||||
| Impact to remaining stockholders | The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining stockholders, who will bear the burden of paying the M&A fee to I-Bankers and interest withdrawn in order to pay taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account). | If the permitted purchases described above are made, there will be no impact to our remaining stockholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. | The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our sponsor, who will be our only remaining stockholder after such redemptions. |
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise the underwriters’ over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Escrow of offering proceeds |
The rules of Nasdaq provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account.
$100,500,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. |
Approximately $87.3 million of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. | ||
Investment of net proceeds |
$100,500,000 of the net offering proceeds and the proceeds from the sale of the private placement units held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. | Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds |
Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to stockholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. | Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. | ||
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
The Nasdaq rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers 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. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rule. | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. | ||
Trading of securities issued |
The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers, as representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. | No trading of the units or the underlying common stock and rights would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Election to remain an investor |
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a stockholder vote. If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek 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 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.
Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. |
A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Business combination deadline | If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. | ||
| Release of funds | Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (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 and restate our amended and restated articles of incorporation (A) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering subject to applicable law. | The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote | 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 articles of incorporation will provide 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 Excess Shares (an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering). Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. | Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with an initial business combination. | ||
| Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights | We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. | In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. |
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic 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 rights and private placement units, 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.
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton, FL 33431. The cost for this space is included in the up to $5,000 per month fee that we will pay to Christy Albeck, our Chief Financial Officer, for office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services. We believe that the amount we will pay under the administrative services agreement is comparable to the cost of similar services that we could obtain from unaffiliated persons. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
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Employees
We currently have two executive officers. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, common stock and rights under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public auditors.
We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with GAAP. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with GAAP. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.
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Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and officers are as follows:
| Name | Age | Title | ||||
| Adelmo “Al” Lopez | 59 | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | ||||
| Christy Albeck | 70 | Chief Financial Officer | ||||
| John Joyce | 70 | Vice Chairman | ||||
| Silvia Panigone | 52 | Director | ||||
| Jian Zhang | 41 | Director |
Adelmo “Al” Lopez — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Lopez has served as Chairman and CEO of the company since September 2023. Mr. Lopez founded Finca Terrerito, now Alma Coffee, LLC, in 2008 and is its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Alma Coffee, roasts and wholesales premium coffees from Latin America. From 2008-2017, Mr. Lopez was also a member of Gerson Lehrman Consulting Group. Prior to that, from 2006-2008 he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Blair Corporation, a $400+ million multi-channel direct marketer of apparel and home goods. He served in several capacities including as Group General Manager of Russell Corporation, a $1.4 billion athletic and activewear company from 2004-2006. Earlier positions include: Chief Financial Officer of Dole Fresh Fruit International, a $1.6 billion subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Regional Vice President of Frito Lay, Inc., and in two divisional Chief Financial Officer roles with Sara Lee Corporation. Mr. Lopez is a certified public accountant and began his business career with Coopers & Lybrand. He also served in the United States Army. Mr. Lopez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois in Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. We believe Mr. Lopez is well qualified to serve as a director due to his executive management and senior leadership experience and his accounting background.
Christy Albeck — Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Albeck has served as CFO of the company since January 2024. Ms. Albeck has over 30 years of experience operating as an outsourced CFO in venture backed public and private companies. Ms. Albeck is Founder and CEO of Albeck Financial Services, a consulting firm specializing in pre-audit work for international and domestic public companies and private companies in the process of going public. Ms. Albeck is currently a Partner at Calabrese Consulting, a Financial Accounting and Advisory Services firm that acquired Albeck Financial Services in March 2022. Ms. Albeck has expertise in financial due diligence and SEC reporting, having provided consulting and advisory services for over 125 SPACs. Ms. Albeck holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston.
John Joyce — Vice Chairman
Mr. Joyce has served as Vice Chairman of the Company since December 2023. Mr. Joyce is the former Chief Financial Officer of IBM. He was also President of Asia Pacific and Head of Global Services at IBM. He was instrumental in the successful reengineering of IBM’s worldwide business, including the sale of the hard disk drive (HDD) business to Hitachi, the sale of the PC business to Lenovo, and the acquisition of PW Consulting from PriceWaterhouse. During his time at IBM from September 1977 to June 2007, Mr. Joyce was responsible for 150,000 employees and nearly $50 billion of revenue. Mr. Joyce served as a Managing Director of SilverLake Partners, the world’s largest technology focused PE fund. From June 2007 to May 2012, Mr. Joyce served as a member of the investment committee and was leader of the firm’s value creation team. Mr. Joyce has also served on the boards of HP, Avago (Broadcom), Bertelsmann AG, Intelsat, Gartner and Sabre. Mr. Joyce holds a Bachelor of Arts from Montclair State University, and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. We believe Mr. Joyce is well qualified to serve as a director due to his executive leadership experience in the technology industry.
Silvia Panigone — Director
Ms. Panigone has served as director of the company since October 2023. With more than 25 years’ experience in private and public companies and several Board positions, Ms. Panigone combines a profound understanding of corporate finance and private investments with a deep knowledge of drugs and devices development processes. Ms. Panigone is Founder of ADYA, a company focused on corporate strategy counseling, interim management, deal structuring, and capital raising at a global level. Ms. Panigone is currently also acting as CEO of Inhalis Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech developing inhaled drugs for life-threatening diseases. From February 2021 to November 2022 she served as Chief Operating Officer at NLS Pharmaceutics Ltd., a Swiss biotech listed on the NASDAQ. Ms. Panigone was a former Managing Director at I-Bankers Direct, an equity funding web-platform, from May 2013 to December 2015 and Advisor for I-Bankers Securities group, a US investment bank, from November 2014 to December 2015. She formerly served as Investment Director at BSI Healthcapital, a VC firm focused on life sciences, and she was responsible for venture investments and for the set-up of clients’ dedicated vehicles in the Merchant division of a Swiss bank (BSI/EGF bank). Ms. Panigone spent her first years as oncology researcher in Academia in Italy and the US. She possesses a Molecular Biology degree, a Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology and an executive MBA (EMBA) at SDA Bocconi. We believe Ms. Panigone is well qualified to serve as a director due to her corporate finance background and experience.
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Jian Zhang — Director
Mr. Zhang has served as director of the company since October 2023. Mr. Zhang has significant experience in designing, developing and operating messaging platforms and investing in the informational, biological, block-chain and consumer technology industries. He is currently a director at many technology and investment firms, including Yunnan Jimaoxin Information Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Zenyi Tonglian Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhuhai Meining Technology Co., Ltd. Since August 2015, he has been the Chief Executive Officer and the Managing Partner of Yunnan Xiaosen Venture Capital Co., Ltd., a fund active in angel-round capital raising for internet and social media startups. Since August 2017, Mr. Zhang has also been the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Hangzhou Hechuang Investment Management Co., Ltd., a fund investing in the processing, supply chain and retail channels related to agricultural products. Mr. Zhang is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Distoken Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: DIST), a special purpose acquisition company which completed its initial public offering in February 2023. Mr. Zhang is the former Chief Executive Officer of Tongzheng Huilian Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., a high-tech company focusing on the development and application of blockchain technology. From January 2005 to August 2018, he served as the Chief Executive Officer at Kunming Limit Technology Company Limited, a high-tech company mainly engaged in the development of mobile communication technology. Mr. Zhang graduated from Guangdong Ocean University with a Bachelor of Engineering. We believe Mr. Zhang is well qualified to serve as a director due to his investment and operational experience in the Internet and communication industry.
Feng Xiangkun — Advisor
Mr. Feng will serve as an Advisor to the Company upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Feng has extensive experience in corporate capital strategy, IPO incubation, private equity, securities funds, legal risk control, and market value management of listed companies, and more than 12 years of experience investing in leading enterprises of listed companies. Mr. Feng currently serves as Chairman at YuanDeKun Investment Group Co., Ltd. From July 2009 to July 2010 he served as a Securities Analyst at State Grid Yingda. From January 2011 to March 2015, Mr. Feng advised high net worth individuals on asset management. From April 2015 to September 2019 he served as Fund Manager for YuanDeKun Private Equity Fund Management (Nanjing) Co. Mr. Feng graduated from Xiamen University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Work and Management.
Number of Officers and Directors
We expect to have four directors upon completion of this offering. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination. Our officers are elected by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate.
Director Independence
The Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. We believe all of our directors, other than Mr. Lopez, qualify as “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules to serve on our board of directors. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, beginning at the time of the IPO closing, we will pay Christy Albeck, our Chief Financial Officer, a total of up to $5,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services. Our 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 our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates.
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After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent 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 us after the initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Each committee will operate under a charter that has been approved by our board and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. Our audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee will be composed solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. The members of our audit committee will be Silvia Panigone, Jian Zhang, and John Joyce. John Joyce will serve as chairperson of the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members on the audit committee. 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. Silvia Panigone, Jian Zhang and John Joyce qualify as independent directors under applicable rules. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that John Joyce qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| ● | the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered accounting firm and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; | |
| ● | pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; | |
| ● | reviewing and discussing with the independent registered accounting firm all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; | |
| ● | setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered accounting firm; | |
| ● | setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
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| ● | obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within, the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; | |
| ● | reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and | |
| ● | reviewing with management, the independent registered accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. |
Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Silvia Panigone, Jian Zhang, and John Joyce. John Joyce will serve as chairman of the compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members on the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent.
We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| ● | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s based on such evaluation; | |
| ● | reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other 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 will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.
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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be Silvia Panigone, Jian Zhang, and John Joyce. John Joyce will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.
The primary purposes of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be to assist the board in:
| ● | identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the board of directors; | |
| ● | developing, recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines; | |
| ● | coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and | |
| ● | reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary. |
The nominating and corporate governance committee will be governed by a charter that complies with the rules of Nasdaq.
Director Nominations
Our nominating and corporate governance committee will recommend to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of the stockholders. 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).
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our form of Code of Ethics and our committee charters as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You will be able to 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 from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Conflicts of Interest
In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada 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 the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation. | |
| In relation to the foregoing, our amended and restated articles of incorporation provides that: | ||
| ● | we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or being offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunities that are presented to us or our officers or directors or stockholders or affiliates thereof, including but not limited to, our sponsor and its affiliates, except as may be prescribed by any written agreement with us; and | |
| ● | our officers and directors will not be liable to our company or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of any fiduciary duty by reason of any of our activities or any of our sponsor or its affiliates to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law. | |
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor these fiduciary obligations under applicable law. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide 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.
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The following table summarizes the relevant pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
| Individual | Entity | Position at affiliated entity | ||
| Adelmo “Al” Lopez | Finca Terrerito/Alma Coffee LLC |
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Worldwide Business Advisory Services LLC | Chairman & Founder | |||
| Christy Albeck | Albeck Financial Services Inc. | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Calabrese Consulting | Partner | |||
| Silvia Panigone | ADYA Consulting SAGL | Chief Executive Officer & Founder | ||
| NLS Pharmaceutics | Chief Operating Officer | |||
| Inhalis Therapeutics SA | Chief Executive Officer | |||
| Teoresi SPA | Board Member | |||
| Outcome Capital | Managing Director & Advisor | |||
| Jian Zhang | Yunnan Xiaosen Venture Capital Co., Ltd | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Hangzhou Hechuang Investment Management Co., Ltd | Chief Executive Officer | |||
| Yunnan Jimaoxin Information Technology Co., Ltd | Director | |||
| Shenzhen Zenyi Tonglian Technology Co., Ltd | Director | |||
| Zhuhai Meining Technology Co., Ltd | Director | |||
| Distoken Acquisition Corporation | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer | |||
| John Joyce | NetX Fund | Executive Chairman |
Our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates.
Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target. However, we do not currently expect that any such other special purpose acquisition company would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
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. |
| ● | Our sponsor subscribed for founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private placement units in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. |
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| ● | Our sponsor and I-Bankers have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares, Representative shares and any public shares they hold in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our sponsor and I-Bankers have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and Representative shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold. |
If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement units (and its underlying securities) will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until the earlier of (1) six months after the completion of our initial business combination and (2) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization, or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of our 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, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement units and the securities underlying such units will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The private placement units attributable to members of our sponsor who are associated persons of I-Bankers, the representative of the underwriters, will be further subject to certain limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock, rights and private placement units (including its underlying securities) following this 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. |
| ● | 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 such individuals or an affiliate of our officers or directors, including our sponsor, to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be, at the option of the lender, convertible into placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit but not sooner than 60 (sixty) days after the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. |
| ● | Our officers and directors may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. |
| ● | Our officers and directors may be paid consulting, finder or success fees for assisting us in consummating our initial business combination. |
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, 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, 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, our sponsor has agreed to vote its founder shares, private placement shares, and any public shares purchased in or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Nevada law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted by the NRS.
We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated articles of incorporation. Our bylaws also permit us to maintain insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Nevada law would permit such indemnification. We will obtain 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.
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The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:
| ● | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our 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 rights or the private placement rights as these rights are not convertible into common stock within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
| Before Offering | After Offering(3) | |||||||||||||||
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | Number
of Shares Beneficially Owned(2) | Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding common stock | Number
of Shares Beneficially Owned(5) | Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding common stock | ||||||||||||
| Adelmo “Al” Lopez(4) | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Christy Albeck(4) | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Silvia Panigone(4) | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Jian Zhang(4) | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| John Joyce(4) | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| 5% Holders | ||||||||||||||||
| I-B Good Works 4, LLC | 3,243,590 | 100 | % | 3,390,513 | 24.7 | % | ||||||||||
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o I-B Good Works 4, LLC, 2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton FL 33431. |
| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of founder shares. |
| (3) | Based on 10,000,000 shares of common stock, 2,820,513 founder shares, 570,000 private placement shares and 350,000 Representative shares outstanding immediately after this offering (assumes the underwriters’ over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 423,077 founder shares have been forfeited by sponsor). |
| (4) |
Our officers and directors are members of our sponsor, I-B Good Works 4, LLC, and hold interests in our sponsor as follows: Al Lopez holds a 4.62% equity interest, which represents the right to receive 150,000 founder shares; Christy Albeck holds a 1.54% equity interest, which represents the right to receive 50,000 founder shares; Silvia Panigone holds a 1.54% equity interest, which represents the right to receive 50,000 founder shares; Jian Zhang holds a 1.54% equity interest, which represents the right to receive 50,000 founder shares; and John Joyce holds a 3.08% equity interest, which represents the right to receive 100,000 founder shares. In addition to the interest held by Jian Zhang representing the right to receive founder shares, Jian Zhang, through an affiliate, holds a 26.8% equity interest in our sponsor, which represents the right to receive 869,565 founder shares and 200,000 private placement units. Each of our officers and directors disclaims any beneficial ownership other than to the extent of his or her pecuniary interest in our sponsor. |
| (5) | The number of shares in the column “After Offering – Number of Shares Beneficially Owned” reflects the purchase of 570,000 private placement shares underlying the private placement units, and the forfeiture of 423,077 that would occur if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. Shelley Leonard is the manager of I-B Good Works 4, LLC and has voting and dispositive control over the shares held by I-B Good Works 4, LLC. |
Immediately after this offering, our sponsor will beneficially own 24.7% of the then issued and outstanding shares of common stock assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering. Because of this ownership block, our sponsor may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including amendments to our amended and restated articles of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 private placement units, at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,700,000 in the aggregate), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The number of private placement units to be purchased if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised only in part will be a number of units necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.05 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These additional private placement units will be purchased simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, the private placement units and their underlying securities will expire worthless.
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The private placement units and their underlying securities are subject to the transfer restrictions described below.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors may be deemed to be “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Transfers of Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Underlying Securities
The founder shares, private placement units and underlying private placement shares and private placement rights are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreements with us to be entered into by our sponsor. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the last sale price of the common stock (x) 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 following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange 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, and (ii) in the case of the private placement units and the underlying private placement shares and private placement rights, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, our sponsor or any affiliates of our sponsor, or in the case of I-Bankers, the affiliates, directors, officers or direct or indirect equityholders of I-Bankers and in all respects in accordance with the initial 180 day lock-up requirements in effect from the commencement of sales of this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(e); (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the members of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the any of our officers or directors, or members of our sponsor, or any officers, directors or direct or indirect, equityholders of I-Bankers; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations or; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) if a holder is an entity, as a distribution to its partners, stockholders, officers or members upon its liquidation or (g) by virtue of the laws of the jurisdiction of our sponsor or the sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor or the organizational documents of I-Bankers; provided, however, that in any case these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer and by the same agreements entered into by our sponsor with respect to such securities.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, the private placement units (and underlying securities) and private placement units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any underlying securities) and Representative shares will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the closing date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period described above “— Transfers of Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Underlying Securities.” We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I-Bankers and its permitted transferees may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On September 2, 2020, our sponsor subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares for a subscription price of $3,000. Prior to the above investment in the company, we had no assets, tangible or intangible. On October 26, 2023, our sponsor agreed to surrender an aggregate of 1,068,910 shares of our common stock for no consideration, which were cancelled, resulting in our sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,243,590 founder shares. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor prior to this offering at 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.
In connection with this offering, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 units (or 610,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,700,000 in the aggregate, or $6,105,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The number of private placement units to be purchased by our sponsor if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised only in part will be a number of units necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.05 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These additional private placement units will be purchased simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Each private placement unit entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock and one right to received one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock. The private placement units (including the shares of common stock and rights underlying the private placement units) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our executive officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
We have entered into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will pay (commencing at the time of the IPO closing) Christy Albeck, our Chief Financial Officer, a total of up to $5,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes the maximum 18 months, we will pay a total of up to $90,000 ($5,000 per month) for office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services.
Our 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 our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be, at the option of the lender, convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit of the post business combination entity. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain officers and directors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
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We have engaged I-Bankers in connection with our business combination to assist us in holding meetings with our stockholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce us to potential investors that are interested in purchasing our securities in connection with our initial business combination, assist us in obtaining stockholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press releases and public filings in connection with the business combination. The scope of engagement excludes identifying and/or evaluating possible acquisition candidates. Pursuant to our agreement with I-Bankers, the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers will be 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. If a business combination is consummated with a target introduced to us by I-Bankers, we will also pay I-Bankers a finder fee equal to 1% of the consideration issued to the target.
We may pay consulting, finder or success fees to our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates for assisting us in consummating our initial business combination. Other than these consulting, finder or success fees, no compensation of any kind will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive officer and director compensation.
We will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, Representative shares and private placement units (and underlying securities), which is described under the heading “Principal Stockholders — Registration Rights.”
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval or ratification of “related party transactions.” Pursuant to the policy, the audit committee will consider (i) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders and (v) the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or executive officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
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Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our authorized capital stock will consist of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The number of authorized shares of common stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Public Units
Each public unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock and one right. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share of common stock. The common stock and rights comprising the public units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. At the time that the common stock and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. We will not issue fractional shares upon conversion of the rights once the units separate, and no cash will be payable in lieu thereof. As a result, you must have 10 rights to receive one share of common stock at the closing of the business combination.
In no event will the common stock and rights be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering which will include this audited balance sheet, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Common Stock
Upon the closing of this offering, 13,740,513 shares of our common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 423,077 founder shares by our sponsor), including:
| ● | 10,000,000 shares of our common stock underlying the units being offered in this offering; |
| ● | 2,820,513 founder shares; |
| ● | 570,000 private placement shares; and |
| ● | 350,000 Representative shares. |
If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor prior to this offering at 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.
Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Unless specified in our amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable provisions of the NRS or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. 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 (prior to consummation of our initial business combination). Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
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Because our amended and restated articles of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of 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 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.
In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first full fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under NRS 78.330, 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 NRS 78.330, 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 court in the county where the registered office of the corporation is located in accordance with NRS 78.345.
We will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.05 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the M&A fee payable to the underwriters. Our sponsor and I-Bankers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares, Representative shares, and any public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering.
Unlike many blank check 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 articles of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, 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 blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek 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 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. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our 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 business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our sponsor, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
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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 articles of incorporation will provide 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 an aggregate of 15% or more of the shares of common stock sold in this offering, 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. 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 the business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares equal to or exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our sponsor has agreed to vote its founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would need 3,129,745, or approximately 31.3%, of the 10,000,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). Furthermore, assuming only the minimum number of stockholders required to be present at the stockholders’ meeting held to approve our initial business combination are present at such meeting, in addition to the founder shares and private placement shares held by our sponsor and the 350,000 Representative shares held by I-Bankers, we would not need any of the 10,000,000 public shares sold as part of the units in this offering to be voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). In addition, in the event that our board of directors amends our bylaws to reduce the number of shares required to be present at a meeting of our stockholders, we would need even fewer public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination to have such transaction approved. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction (subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph).
Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor and I-Bankers and our officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and Representative shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, officers, directors, and I-Bankers acquire public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our 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 stock, 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 stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
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Founder Shares
The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this 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) (A) our sponsor has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to its founder shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (B) our sponsor has agreed to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering although it will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares it holds if we fail to complete our business combination within such time period); and (iii) the founder shares are subject to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor has agreed to vote its founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination (subject to certain limitations, as described under “Risk Factors — If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock”).
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 six months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, (x) subsequent to our initial business combination, the last sale price of the 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 following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Up to 423,077 founder shares will be forfeited by our sponsor depending on the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue 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 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 stock 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. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.
Rights
Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of our common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all common stock held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation with respect to our pre-business combination activities. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional common stock upon consummation of an initial business combination as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours).
If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless.
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Promptly upon the consummation of our initial business combination, the rights agent will issue to the registered holder of such right(s) the number of full shares of common stock to which he, she or it is entitled. We will notify registered holders of the rights to deliver their rights to the rights agent promptly upon consummation of such business combination and have been informed by the rights agent that the process of exchanging their rights for common stock should take no more than a matter of days. The foregoing exchange of rights is solely ministerial in nature and is not intended to provide us with any means of avoiding our obligation to issue the shares underlying the rights upon consummation of our initial business combination. Other than confirming that the rights delivered by a registered holder are valid, we will have no ability to avoid delivery of the shares underlying the rights. Nevertheless, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
We will not issue any fractional shares upon conversions of the rights once the units separate, and no cash will be payable in lieu thereof. As a result, a holder must have 10 rights to receive one share of common stock at the closing of the business combination. In the event that any holder would otherwise be entitled to any fractional share upon exchange of his, her or its rights, we will reserve the option, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to deal with any such fractional entitlement at the relevant time as we see fit, which would include the rounding down of any entitlement to receive common stock to the nearest whole share (and in effect extinguishing any fractional entitlement), or the holder being entitled to hold any remaining fractional entitlement (without any share being issued) and to aggregate the same with any future fractional entitlement to receive shares in the company until the holder is entitled to receive a whole number. Any rounding down and extinguishment may be done with or without any in lieu cash payment or other compensation being made to the holder of the relevant rights, such that value received on exchange of the rights may be considered less than the value that the holder would otherwise expect to receive. All holders of rights shall be treated in the same manner with respect to the issuance of shares upon conversions of the rights.
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 rights 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.
Private Placement Units
The private placement units (including the common stock and private placement rights, underlying the private placement units, as well as any shares of common stock into which the private placement rights may be converted) will (with limited exceptions) not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Otherwise, the private placement units (and its underlying securities) have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the units (and its underlying securities) being sold in this offering.
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 working capital loans may be convertible, at the option of the lender, into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
In addition, holders of our private placement units (and its underlying securities) are entitled to certain registration rights.
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. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend with respect to our common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor prior to this offering at 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, 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 Rights Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock and rights agent for our rights is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and rights agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
Provisions Relating to this Offering
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. Per our amended and restated articles of incorporation, these provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of at least 65% of our common stock. Our sponsor, who will collectively beneficially own 24.7% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner the sponsor may choose. Specifically, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:
| ● | prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which holders of public shares may seek to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) or (2) provide holders of public shares with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) in each case subject to the limitations described herein; |
| ● | if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (i) 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 within 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; |
| ● | if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; |
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| ● | we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either immediately before or after such consummation and, solely if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination; |
| ● | we will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations; |
| ● | so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the marketing fee 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; and |
| ● | prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. |
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated articles of incorporation will provide that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the shares of common stock voted by our stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Nevada Law and our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
Combination with Interested Stockholders Statute
Sections 78.411 to 78.444 of the NRS, which apply to any Nevada corporation with more than 200 stockholders, prohibits an “interested stockholder” from entering into a “combination” with the corporation for two years, unless certain conditions are met. A “combination” includes:
| ● | any merger of the corporation or any subsidiary of the corporation with an “interested stockholder,” or any other entity, whether or not itself an “interested stockholder,” which is, or after and as a result of the merger would be, an affiliate or associate of an “interested stockholder,” |
| ● | any sales, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer, or other disposition in one transaction, or a series of transactions, to or with an “interested stockholder” or any affiliate or associate of an “interested stockholder,” of assets of the corporation or any subsidiary of the corporation: |
| ● | having an aggregate market value equal to more than 5% of the aggregate market value of the corporation’s assets, determined on a consolidated basis; |
| ● | having an aggregate market value equal to more than 5% of the aggregate market value of all of the outstanding shares of the corporation; or |
| ● | representing more than 10% of the earning power or net income, determined on a consolidated basis, of the corporation; or |
| ● | the issuance or transfer by the corporation or any subsidiary, of any shares of the corporation or any subsidiary to an “interested stockholder” or any affiliate or associate of an “interested stockholder,” having an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of all of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, except under the exercise of warrants or rights to purchase shares offered, or a dividend or distribution paid or made, pro rata to all stockholders of the resident domestic corporation; |
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| ● | the adoption of any plan, or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the corporation, under any agreement, arrangement or understanding, with the “interested stockholder.” or any affiliate or associated of the “interested stockholder;” |
| ● | if any of the following actions occurs: |
| ● | a reclassification of the corporation’s securities, including, without limitation, any splitting of shares, share dividend, or other distribution of shares with respect to other shares, or any issuance of new shares in exchange for a proportionately greater number of old shares; |
| ● | recapitalization of the corporation; |
| ● | merger of consolidation of the corporation with any subsidiary; or |
| ● | any other transaction, whether or not with or into or otherwise involving the interested stockholder, under any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, with the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder, which has the immediate and proximate effect of increasing the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class or series of voting shares or securities convertible into voting shares of the corporation or any subsidiary of the corporation which is beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder; |
| ● | any receipt by an “interested stockholder” or any affiliate or associate of an “interested stockholder” except proportionately as a stockholder of the corporation, of the benefit of any loan, advance, guarantee, pledge or other financial assistance or any tax credit or other tax advantage provided by or through the corporation |
An “interested stockholder” is a person who is:
| ● | directly or indirectly, the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation; or |
| ● | an affiliate or associate of the corporation, which at any time within two years immediately before the date in question was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of the corporation. |
A corporation to which the Combinations with Interested Stockholders Statute applies may not engage in a “combination” within two years after the interested stockholder first became an interested stockholder, unless the combination meets all of the requirements of the corporation’s articles of incorporation and (i) the combination or the transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before the person first became an interested stockholder, or (ii)(a) the combination is approved by the board of directors and (b) at or after that time, the combination is approved at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of the stockholders representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the outstanding voting power of the corporation not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or the affiliates or associates of the interested stockholder. If this approval is not obtained, the combination may be consummated after the two year period expires if either (i)(a) the combination or transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before such person first became an interested stockholder, (b) the combination is approved by a majority of the outstanding voting power of the corporation not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or any affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder, or (c) the combination otherwise meets the requirements of the Combination with Interested Stockholders Statute. Alternatively, a combination with an interested stockholder engaged in more than 2 years after the date the person first became an interested stockholder may be permissible if the aggregate amount of cash and the market value of consideration other than cash to be received by holders of shares of common stock and holders of any other class or series of shares meets the minimum requirements set forth in the statue, and prior to the completion of the combination, except in limited circumstances, the interested stockholder has not become the beneficial owner of additional voting shares of the corporation.
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Acquisition of Controlling Interest Statute
In addition, Nevada’s “Acquisition of Controlling Interest Statute,” prohibits an acquiror, under certain circumstances, from voting shares of a target corporation’s stock after crossing certain threshold ownership percentages, unless the acquiror obtains the approval of the target corporation’s stockholders. Sections 78.378 to 78.3793 of the NRS, only apply to Nevada corporations with at least 200 stockholders, including at least 100 record stockholders who are Nevada residents, that do business directly or through an affiliated corporation in Nevada and whose articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect 10 days following the acquisition of a controlling interest by an acquiror do not prohibit its application.
We will likely not have at least 100 record stockholders who are Nevada residents, nor do we intend to “do business” in Nevada within the meaning of the Acquisition of Controlling Interest Statute. Therefore, we believe it is unlikely that this statute will apply to us. The statute specifies three thresholds:
● at least one-fifth but less than one-third;
● at least one-third but less than a majority; and
● a majority or more, of the outstanding voting power. Once an acquiror crosses one of these thresholds, shares which it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold (or within ninety days preceding the date thereof) become “control shares” which could be deprived of the right to vote until a majority of the disinterested stockholders restore that right.
A special stockholders’ meeting may be called at the request of the acquiror to consider the voting rights of the acquiror’s shares. If the acquiror requests a special meeting and gives an undertaking to pay the expenses of said meeting, then the meeting must take place no earlier than 30 days (unless the acquiror requests that the meeting be held sooner) and no more than 50 days (unless the acquiror agrees to a later date) after the delivery by the acquiror to the corporation of an information statement which sets forth the range of voting power that the acquiror has acquired or proposes to acquire and certain other information concerning the acquiror and the proposed control share acquisition.
If no such request for a stockholders’ meeting is made, consideration of the voting rights of the acquiror’s shares must be taken at the next special or annual stockholders’ meeting. If the stockholders fail to restore voting rights to the acquiror, or if the acquiror fails to timely deliver an information statement to the corporation, then the corporation may, if so provided in its articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect on the tenth day following the acquisition, call certain of the acquiror’s shares for redemption at the average price paid for such shares by the acquiror.
Our existing articles of incorporation and bylaws and our proposed amended and restated articles of incorporation do not permit us to redeem an acquiror’s shares under these circumstances, but could be amended to so provide within ten days following the acquisition. The Acquisition of Controlling Interest Statute also provides that in the event the stockholders restore full voting rights to a holder of control shares that owns a majority of the voting stock, then, unless the corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect on the tenth day following the acquisition otherwise provide, all other stockholders who do not vote in favor of restoring voting rights to the control shares may demand payment for the “fair value” of their shares as determined by a court in dissenters rights proceeding pursuant to Chapter 92A of the NRS.
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.
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Exclusive Forum for Certain Lawsuits
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will require, unless the directors of the Company 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 the Company, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the NRS or our amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Company, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the courts in the State of Nevada, except any claim (A) as to which the courts of the State of Nevada determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Nevada (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of courts of the State of Nevada within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the courts of the State of Nevada, (C) for which the courts of the State of Nevada does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the courts of the State of Nevada and the federal district courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Nevada, 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 Nevada 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 articles of incorporation will provide 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.
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 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
Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our common stockholders must be affected 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 common stock.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after this offering we will have 13,740,513 (or 15,749,090 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of common stock outstanding. The 10,000,000 shares (or 11,500,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The 350,000 shares (or up to 395,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) are subject to the restrictions set forth in the section titled “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest).” All of the 2,820,513 (or 3,243,590 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) founder shares and the 570,000 private placement shares (or 610,500 private placement shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus. These restricted securities will be subject to registration rights as more fully described below under “— Registration Rights.”
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Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or rights for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or rights for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
| ● | 1% of the total number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal 137,405 shares immediately after this offering (or 142,490 if the underwriters exercises the underwriters’ over-allotment option in full); or |
| ● | the average weekly reported trading volume of the common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
| ● | the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
| ● | the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
| ● | the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and |
| ● | at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
As a result, our sponsor will be able to sell its founder shares and private placement units (and underlying securities), as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, the private placement units (and underlying securities) and private placement units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any underlying securities) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the closing date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters and their permitted transferees may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period described above “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Underlying Securities.” We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Listing of Securities
We intend to apply to list our units, common stock and rights on Nasdaq under the symbols “IBACU,” “IBAC” and “IBACR,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the shares of our common stock and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and rights will be listed separately on Nasdaq. At the time that the common stock and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade.
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UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units or components thereof, shares of common stock and rights, which we refer to collectively as our securities, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. Because the components of a unit are separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying common stock and right components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of common stock and rights should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying common stock and rights that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering. This discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to our sponsor, officers or directors, or holders of private placement units.
This discussion does not describe all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, including but not limited to:
| ● | banks; |
| ● | certain financial institutions; |
| ● | regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts; |
| ● | insurance companies; |
| ● | brokers or dealers in securities or foreign currencies; |
| ● | dealers or traders subjects to a mark-to-market method of accounting with respect to the securities; |
| ● | tax-exempt or governmental organizations; |
| ● | U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; |
| ● | persons holding the securities as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated transaction; |
| ● | U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| ● | “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| ● | partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any beneficial owners of such entities; |
| ● | persons deemed to sell the securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code (as defined below); |
| ● | persons who hold or receive the securities pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation; |
| ● | regulated investment companies, mutual funds or real estate investment trusts; |
| ● | former citizens or residents of the United States; |
| ● | persons who own five percent or more (by vote or value) of the securities. |
| ● | tax-qualified retirement plans; and |
| ● | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds. |
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If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our securities, the tax treatment of a partner, member or other beneficial owner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, member or other beneficial owner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner, member or other beneficial owner level. If you are a partner, member or other beneficial owner of a partnership holding our securities, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our securities.
This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus, or differing interpretations of which, may affect the tax consequences described herein. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect the tax consequences discussed below. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to that discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities. This discussion does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, or any U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes (such as gift and estate taxes).
THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES ARISING UNDER THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
Personal Holding Company Status
We could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at rates in excess of those generally applicable to corporations on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company, (“PHC”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (i) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (ii) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).
Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our sponsor and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts, more than 50% of our stock may be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not be a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.
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Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments or arrangements similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our common stock and one right to acquire one share of our common stock. We intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner and, by purchasing a unit, you will agree to adopt such treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one share of common stock and the right based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. We strongly urge each investor to consult his or her own tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each share of common stock and the right should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share or right, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of common stock and one right comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the common stock and one right based on their respective fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of shares of common stock and rights comprising units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing U.S. federal income tax treatment of the shares of common stock and rights and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “U.S. holder.” A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of common stock or rights who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| ● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| ● | a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| ● | an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| ● | a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons (within the meaning of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has in effect a valid election under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
Taxation of Distributions.
If we pay distributions to U.S. holders of our common stock, such distributions generally will be includible in a U.S. holder’s gross income, in accordance with such U.S. holder’s method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as dividend income, but only to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights” below.
Dividends we pay to a U.S. holder that is taxable as a corporation generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. holder may constitute “qualified dividends” that will be subject to tax at the maximum tax rate accorded to long-term capital gains.
The redemption rights with respect to the common stock described in this prospectus may be viewed as a position with respect to substantially similar or related property which diminishes your risk of loss and thereby affects your ability to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be, with respect to the time period prior to the approval of an initial business combination.
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Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights.
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock or rights and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock or rights. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock or rights exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the common stock described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose with respect to the time period prior to the approval of an initial business combination. If the running of the holding period is suspended, then U.S. holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or taxable disposition of the shares or rights would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Redemption of common stock.
In the event that a U.S. holder’s common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities — common stock” or if we purchase a U.S. holder’s common stock in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale of the common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale of common stock, the U.S. holder will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of common stock, the U.S. holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption or purchase by us qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning rights) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption or purchase by us. The redemption or purchase by us of common stock generally will be treated as a sale of the common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption or purchase by us (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. holder takes into account not only our stock actually owned by the U.S. holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by such U.S. holder. A U.S. holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. holder, as well as any stock the U.S. holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of rights. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately following the redemption or purchase by us of common stock must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately before the redemption or purchase by us. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed and the U.S. holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of stock owned by certain family members and the U.S. holder neither constructively owns any other stock nor retains any interest in us (including an interest as an officer, director or employee). The redemption or purchase by us of the common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to a U.S. holder if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption or purchase by us will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption or purchase by us.
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If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, then the redemption or purchase by us will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions,” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. holder in the redeemed common stock will be added to the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, or, if it has none, possibly to the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its rights or in other stock constructively owned by it.
Satisfaction or Lapse of a Right.
The delivery of shares of common stock in satisfaction of a right is not expected to be a taxable event. The U.S. holder’s tax basis in the share of our common stock received upon receipt of shares with respect to a right generally should be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the right (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for each unit that is allocated to the right, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”). The U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock received in satisfaction of the rights generally should begin on the date following receipt of shares (or possibly the date of receipt) with respect to a right and should not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the rights. If a right is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. holder may be allowed to recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the right. The treatment of the rights is uncertain under U.S. federal income tax law. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of the rights.
U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding.
Distributions (regardless of whether such distributions constitute dividends) with respect to, and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our units, shares of common stock and rights by a U.S. holder generally are subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding, unless the U.S. holder is an exempt recipient. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if a U.S. holder fails to furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and such holder may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. holder.” A Non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of common stock or rights who or that is not a U.S. Holder or a partnership (or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of Distributions.
In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a Non-U.S. holder of shares of our common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such Non-U.S. holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E). Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the Non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the Non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights” below.
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Dividends we pay to a Non-U.S. holder that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (or if a tax treaty applies are attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. holder) will generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax, provided such Non-U.S. holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an applicable IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, such dividends will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax as if the Non-U.S. holder were a U.S. resident, subject to an applicable tax treaty providing otherwise. A Non-U.S. holder that is a corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).
Satisfaction or Lapse of a Right.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. holder’s exercise of a right, or the lapse of a right held by a Non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a right by a U.S. holder, as described under “U.S. Holders — Satisfaction or Lapse of a Right” above.
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights.
A Non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain realized on a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of our common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, or rights (including an expiration or redemption of our rights), in each case without regard to whether those securities were held as part of a unit, unless:
| ● | the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the Non-U.S. holder within the United States (or, if a tax treaty applies, are attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. holder); |
| ● | the Non-U.S. holder is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met (and the Non-U.S. holder is not eligible for relief under an applicable income tax treaty); or |
| ● | we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. holder held our common stock or rights, as applicable and where shares of our common stock and rights are treated as regularly traded on an established securities market, the Non-U.S. holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such Non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the shares of our common stock. Special rules may apply to the determination of the 5% threshold in the case of a holder of a right. A Non-U.S. holder is urged to consult their own tax advisor regarding the effect of holding the rights on the calculation of such 5% threshold. There can be no assurance that our common stock or rights will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose. We will be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of (1) the fair market value of our United States real property interests, (2) the fair market value of our non-United States real property interests and (3) the fair market value of any other of our assets which are used or held for use in our trade or business. Although we currently are not a United States real property holding corporation, we cannot determine whether we will be a United States real property holding corporation in the future until we consummate an initial business combination. |
Unless an applicable tax treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates as if the Non-U.S. holder were a U.S. resident. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a Non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or lower treaty rate). If the second bullet point above applies to a Non-U.S. holder, such Non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. federal income tax rate (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such Non-U.S. holder’s net capital gain for such year.
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If the third bullet point above applies to a Non-U.S. holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our common stock or rights will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our common stock or rights from such holder may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition.
Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Redemption of common stock.
The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. holder’s common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — common stock” generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. holder’s common stock, as described under “U.S. Holders — Redemption of common stock” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the Non-U.S. holder will be as described above under “Non-U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” and “Non-U.S. holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Rights,” as applicable. It is possible that because the applicable withholding agent may not be able to determine the proper characterization of a redemption of a Non-U.S. holder’s common stock, the withholding agent might treat the redemption as a distribution subject to withholding tax.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding.
Information returns will be filed with the IRS in connection with payments of dividends and the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our units, shares of common stock and rights. Copies of information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of an applicable treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. holder resides or is established. The United States imposes a backup withholding on dividends and certain other types of payments to United States persons. A Non-U.S. holder will not be subject to backup withholding on dividends received on shares of common stock if a Non-U.S. holder provides proper certification (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E) of such Non-U.S. holder’s status as a non-United States person or if the Non-U.S. holder is a corporation or one of several types of entities and organizations that qualify for exemption (an “exempt recipient”). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a Non-U.S. holder will be allowed as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
FATCA Withholding Taxes.
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder (commonly referred as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% in certain circumstances on dividends (including constructive distributions) and certain other payments paid to certain foreign financial institutions (including certain investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied, or an exemption applies. Such an exemption must typically be evidenced by delivery of a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN-E. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the entity’s jurisdiction may modify these requirements. If FATCA withholding is imposed, a Non-U.S. holder that is not a foreign financial institution generally will be entitled to a refund of any amounts withheld by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden).
Thirty percent (30%) withholding under FATCA was scheduled to apply to the gross proceeds of a disposition of any stock, debt instrument, or other property that can produce U.S.-source dividends or interest beginning on January 1, 2019, but on December 13, 2018, the IRS released proposed regulations that, if finalized in their proposed form, would eliminate the obligation to withhold on gross proceeds. Although these proposed Treasury Regulations are not final, taxpayers generally may rely on them until final Treasury Regulations are issued.
Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to their investment in our securities.
THE DISCUSSION ABOVE IS A GENERAL SUMMARY. IT DOES NOT COVER ALL TAX MATTERS THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT TO YOU. EACH INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON STOCK AND RIGHTS BASED ON THE INVESTOR’S CIRCUMSTANCES.
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UNDERWRITING (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)
I-Bankers is acting as the representative of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters named below have severally agreed to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the respective number of units set forth opposite the underwriters’ name, at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:
| Underwriters | Number of Units | |||
| I-Bankers Securities, Inc. | ||||
| IB Capital LLC | ||||
| Total | 10,000,000 | |||
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the underwriters’ over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any of the units. The underwriting agreement provides that following the completion of this offering, the obligations of the underwriters with respect to this offering will be deemed satisfied.
Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any units sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $[●] per unit. After the initial public offering, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the units by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part. The underwriters does not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
If the underwriters sells more units than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the representative.
The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management team, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, common stock or rights will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, common stock or rights will develop and continue after this offering.
We expect our units to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “IBACU” and, once the common stock and rights begin separate trading, to have our common stock and rights listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “IBAC” and “IBACR,” respectively.
The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
| No Exercise | Full Exercise | |||||||
| Per Unit Underwriting Discounts and Commissions(1) | $ | 0.30 | $ | 0.30 | ||||
| (1) | Includes up to $25,000 payable to Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. for acting as a qualified independent underwriter. Does not include the M&A fee (in an amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering) payable to I-Bankers upon the closing of our initial business combination pursuant to our business combination marketing agreement with I-Bankers. In addition, we will pay I-Bankers a finder’s fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the initial business combination is consummated with a target introduced by I-Bankers. See the section titled “Business Combination Marketing Agreement” below for additional information about the M&A fee. |
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We estimate that our portion of the total expense of this offering payable by us will be no greater than $1,000,000, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions. We have agreed to pay the underwriters for travel, lodging and other “road show” expenses, FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, and fees incurred in connection with conducting background checks of our management, up to an aggregate accountable expense allowance not to exceed $100,000.
No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private placement units.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
Prior to the closing of this offering, we will engage I-Bankers as advisor in connection with our business combination to (i) assist us in preparing presentations for each potential business combination; (ii) assist us in arranging meetings to discuss each potential business combination and each potential target’s attributes and providing regular market feedback, including written status reports, from these meetings and interaction with stockholders, in all cases to the extent legally permissible; (iii) introduce us to potential investors to purchase our securities in connection with each potential business combination; and assist us with the preparation of any press releases and filings related to each potential business combination or target. Pursuant to the business combination marketing agreement, I-Bankers is not obligated to assist us in identifying or evaluating possible acquisition candidates. Pursuant to our agreement with I-Bankers, the M&A fee payable to I-Bankers will be 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering, including any proceeds from the full or partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If a business combination is consummated with a target introduced to us by I-Bankers, we will pay I-Bankers a finder fee equal to 1% of the consideration issued to the target.
Private Placement Units
Our sponsor (and/or their designees) has committed to purchase 570,000 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $5,700,000 (or 610,500 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $6,105,000 if the over-allotment is exercised in full), for a price of $10.00 per unit. As a member of the sponsor, I-Bankers will indirectly purchase 270,000 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $2,700,000 (or 310,500 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $3,105,000 if the over-allotment is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. The private placement units and the shares of common stock that are issuable pursuant to the units that will be indirectly owned by I-Bankers have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1) beginning on the commencement of sales in this offering. The private placement units and the underlying shares of common stock attributable to I-Bankers may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180days beginning on the commencement of sales in this offering, except to any underwriter or selected dealer participating in the offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates of the underwriters and any such participating selected dealer. We have granted the holders of private placement units, the registration rights as described under the section “Shares Eligible for Future Sale — Registration Rights” which will at all times be in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(A)-(D). The units grant to holders certain demand and “piggy back” rights as described in such section and pursuant to the registration rights agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters and their permitted transferees may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
In the event our sponsor provides a working capital loan, repayment of the $1,500,000 loan in the form of private placement units may also be deemed to be compensation attributable to I-Bankers under FINRA Rule 5110 if such repayment is made within 60 days after the commencement of sales of this offering. For this reason, if the sponsor provides a loan, no repayment will be made sooner than 60 (sixty) days after the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
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Representative Shares
We have agreed to issue to I-Bankers (and/or their permitted designees) 350,000 shares of common stock (or up to 395,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) for services rendered upon the consummation of this offering. In addition, I-Bankers (and/or their respective designees) have agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering.
The shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days beginning on the commencement of sales in this offering. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days beginning on the commencement of sales in this offering, except to any underwriters and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates.
Conflicts of Interest
Certain members of our sponsor are associated persons of I-Bankers, the Representative of the underwriters in this offering. These members own approximately 52.2% of our sponsor which owns 100% of our stock prior to this offering. As a result, I-Bankers is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable requirements of Rule 5121. Rule 5121 requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and prospectus and exercise the usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. has agreed to act as a “qualified independent underwriter” for this offering. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. will receive $25,000 and will receive 25,000 Representative shares for acting as a qualified independent underwriter. We have agreed to indemnify Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. against certain liabilities incurred in connection with acting as a “qualified independent underwriter,” including liabilities under the Securities Act. In addition, no underwriter with a conflict of interest will confirm sales to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the specific prior written approval of the account holder.
Sales Outside the United States
No action has been taken in any jurisdiction (except in the United States) that would permit a public offering of the units, or the possession, circulation or distribution of this prospectus or any other material relating to us or the units in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Accordingly, the units may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, and none of this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the units may be distributed or published, in or from any country or jurisdiction except in compliance with any applicable rules and regulations of any such country or jurisdiction.
The underwriters may arrange to sell the units offered hereby in certain jurisdictions outside the United States, either directly or through affiliates, where it is permitted to do so.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”), and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
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Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
The units are not intended to be offered or sold to and should not be offered or sold to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC, as amended (the “Insurance Mediation Directive”), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in the Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, the “Prospectus Directive”). No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014, as amended (the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared. Offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation. This prospectus has been prepared on the basis that any offer of the units in any member state of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive from a requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of units. This prospectus is not a prospectus for the purpose of the Prospectus Directive.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
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Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the shares have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”).The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as a “relevant person”).The units are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase or otherwise acquire such units will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
Notice to Prospective Investors in France
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers or by the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The units have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units has been or will be:
| ● | released, issued, distributed or caused to be released, issued or distributed to the public in France; or | |
| ● | used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of the units to the public in France. |
Such offers, sales and distributions will be made in France only:
| ● | to qualified investisseurs qualifiés and/or to a restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier; | |
| ● | to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or | |
| ● | in a transaction that, in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-1b or 2b or 31b of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations (Règlement Général) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, does not constitute a public offer (appel public à l’épargne). |
The units may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monetaire et financier.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The units may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
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Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.
Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
| ● | shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except: | |
| ● | to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than $200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; | |
| ● | where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or | |
| ● | where the transfer is by operation of law. |
Notice to Canadian Residents
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of units in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the units in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
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Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing units in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
| ● | the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the units without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106 — Prospectus Exemptions, |
| ● | the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103 — Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations, |
| ● | where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent, and |
| ● | the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions. |
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that the underwriters is relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105 — Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of units should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the units in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the units for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
ArentFox Schiff LLP, Washington, DC, has passed upon the validity of the securities offered hereby on behalf of us. Certain legal matters will be passed upon on behalf of the underwriters by Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP.
The financial statements of IB Acquisition Corp. as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, and for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, appearing in this prospectus have been audited by UHY LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph related to substantial doubt about the ability of IB Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements) appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. Appearing in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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| Page | |
| Financial Statements: | |
| Balance Sheets | F-3 |
| Statements of Operations | F-4 |
| Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity | F-5 |
| Statements of Cash Flows | F-6 |
| Notes to Financial Statements | F-7 |
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Shareholder of IB Acquisition Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of IB Acquisition Corp. (formerly known as I-B Good Works 4 Corporation) (the “Company”) as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended September 30, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended September 30, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Substantial Doubt about the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has no revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing transaction and the Company’s cash and working capital are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s evaluation of the events and conditions and management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Note 1 to the financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our opinion is not modified with respect to that matter.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our 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 audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ UHY LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023.
New York, New York
November 17, 2023, except for Note 7, as to which the date is January 30, 2024
| F-2 |
F/K/A I-B Good Works 4 Corporation
Balance Sheets
(Audited)
| September 30, 2023 | September 30, 2022 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current assets | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | 52,553 | $ | 2,760 | ||||
| Total current assets | 52,553 | 2,760 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 52,553 | $ | 2,760 | ||||
| Liabilities and Stockholder’s (Deficit) Equity | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | 7,987 | $ | 1,350 | ||||
| Due to Sponsor | 50,000 | - | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 57,987 | 1,350 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 57,987 | 1,350 | ||||||
| Stockholder’s (Deficit) Equity | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, none shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 | - | - | ||||||
| Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 3,243,590 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 (1) | 324 | 324 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 2,676 | 2,676 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficits | (8,434 | ) | (1,590 | ) | ||||
| Total Stockholder’s (Deficit) Equity | (5,434 | ) | 1,410 | |||||
| Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s (Deficit) Equity | $ | 52,553 | $ | 2,760 | ||||
(1) An aggregate of up to 423,077 shares subject to possible forfeiture at the closing of proposed public offering
The accompanying notes are an integral part of audited financial statements
| F-3 |
F/K/A I-B Good Works 4 Corporation
Statements of Operations
(Audited)
| For
the Year Ended September 30, 2023 | For
the Year Ended September 30, 2022 | |||||||
| Operating expense | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 6,844 | $ | 578 | ||||
| Total operating expense | $ | 6,844 | $ | 578 | ||||
| Net loss before income tax | (6,844 | ) | (578 | ) | ||||
| Income tax | - | - | ||||||
| Net loss | $ | (6,844 | ) | $ | (578 | ) | ||
| Net loss per share | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted | * | * | ||||||
| Weighted average number of shares | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted | 2,820,513 | 2,820,513 | ||||||
(1) Excludes an aggregate of up to 423,077 shares subject to possible forfeiture at September 30, 2023
* Less than $0.01
The accompanying notes are an integral part of audited financial statements
| F-4 |
F/K/A I-B Good Works 4 Corporation
Statement of Changes in Stockholder’s (Deficit) Equity
(Audited)
| Preferred Stock | Common Stock | Additional Paid-in | Accumulated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares (1) | Amount |
Capital |
Deficits | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, September 30, 2021 | - | $ | - | 3,243,590 | $ | 324 | $ | 2,676 | $ | (1,012 | ) | $ | 1,988 | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | (578 | ) | (578 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, September 30, 2022 | - | $ | - | 3,243,590 | $ | 324 | $ | 2,676 | $ | (1,590 | ) | $ | 1,410 | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | (6,844 | ) | (6,844 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, September 30, 2023 | - | $ | - | 3,243,590 | $ | 324 | $ | 2,676 | $ | (8,434 | ) | $ | (5,434 | ) | ||||||||||||||
(1) An aggregate of up to 423,077 shares subject to possible forfeiture at the closing of proposed public offering
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited financial statements
| F-5 |
F/K/A I-B Good Works 4 Corporation
Statements of Cash Flows
(Audited)
| For
the Year Ended September 30, 2023 | For
the Year Ended September 30, 2022 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (6,844 | ) | $ | (578 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses | 6,637 | 450 | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (207 | ) | (128 | ) | ||||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from the sponsor | 50,000 | - | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 50,000 | - | ||||||
| Net increase/(decrease) in cash | 49,793 | (128 | ) | |||||
| Cash at the beginning of the period | 2,760 | 2,888 | ||||||
| Cash at the end of the period | $ | 52,553 | $ | 2,760 | ||||
| SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION: | ||||||||
| Cash paid for interest | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
| Cash paid for income taxes | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
| F-6 |
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
IB Acquisition Corp. f/k/a I-B Good Works 4 Corporation (the “Company”) is a blank check company originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 7, 2020 and which converted to a Nevada corporation on September 21, 2023 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any potential business combination target, and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with the Company. The Company’s investment strategy is not specific to any sector, however, the management team and board members believe there are compelling investment opportunities in a number of areas including consumer goods, sports and entertainment, and healthcare technology. The Company anticipates targeting companies domiciled in North America, Europe and Asia, with an enterprise value of at least $500 million.
As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through September 30, 2023 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected September 30 as its fiscal year end.
Underwriting Agreement and Business Combination Marketing Agreement
The Company has engaged I-Bankers Securities, Inc. (“I-Bankers”) to act as underwriters (the “Underwriters”) on the proposed public offering of the Company’s Units (as defined below), for $100 million and a simultaneous listing on Nasdaq Global Market (the “Proposed Public Offering”). This will be an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring a company, otherwise known as a Special Purpose Acquisition Company or SPAC. Pursuant to an underwriting agreement, I-Bankers will provide the Company with financial services and assistance with respect to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 for the agreed upon number of Units , plus an over-allotment option equal to 15% of the number of Units being offered (exercisable for a period of up to thirty days from the date the Proposed Public Offering is priced). The Company will pay I-Bankers a transaction fee equal to 3.0% of the gross proceeds raised in the Proposed Public Offering for such services upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable).
On or prior to the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, pursuant to the underwriting agreement, the Company will issue as compensation 350,000 shares of common stock (or 395,000 shares if I-Bankers’ overallotment option is exercised in full) for no cash consideration (the “Representative Shares”).
In addition, under a business combination marketing agreement, the Company will engage I-Bankers to provide marketing services in connection with the Business Combination and will pay I-Bankers a cash fee for such marketing services upon the consummation of the Business Combination in an amount equal to, in the aggregate, 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, including any proceeds from the full or partial exercise of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option (the “M&A fee”). If the Company doesn’t complete a business combination, no fee will be due. In addition, the Company will pay the I-Bankers a finder fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the business combination is consummated with a target introduced by the I-Bankers.
Proposed Public Offering
In the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 10,000,000 units (the “Units”) (or 11,500,000 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of the Company’s common stock, and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of the Business Combination, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.
| F-7 |
Note 1 – Organization and Business Operations (Continued)
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through the Proposed Public Offering of 10,000,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit (or 11,500,000 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (with respect to the shares of common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) and the sale of 570,000 Units (or 610,500 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, I-B Good Works 4, LLC (the “Sponsor”), which is an affiliate of I-Bankers, that will be closed simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Private Placement Units are identical to the units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward completing a Business Combination. The Company must complete its initial Business Combination with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding any M&A fees held in the Trust Account and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into a Business Combination. The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that $10.05 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Units, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting certain conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the funds in the Trust Account to the Company’s stockholders, as described below.
The Company will provide its stockholders 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. The stockholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount held in the Trust Account (initially $10.05 per share), calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of a Business Combination, including any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations. The shares of common stock will be recorded at redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such completion of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.
If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to (i) waive its redemption rights with respect to their Private Placement Shares (as defined below) in connection with the completion of the Business Combination, (ii) waive its redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares (defined below), Private Placement Shares (defined below) and any Public Shares they hold in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation (a) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete the Business Combination within 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or (b) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity and (iii) waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares if the Company fails to complete the Business Combination within 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the Sponsor has agreed to vote any Private Placement Shares held by it in favor of the Business Combination.
Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its Public Shares, irrespective of whether they vote for or against a proposed Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Company’s amended and restated articles 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 15% of the Public Shares.
| F-8 |
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (Continued)
The Company will have until 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (the “Combination Period”) to complete a Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which shall be net of taxes payable), 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 liquidation distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to its obligations under Nevada law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The Underwriters will not receive their M&A fee (see Note 5) 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 funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Proposed Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).
The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company, if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or by a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (1) $10.05 per Public Share or (2) such lesser amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the Underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with both this offering and the business combination. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than the Company’s independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
Going Concern Consideration
As of September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had $52,553 and $2,760, respectively, in cash, accumulated deficit of $8,434 and $1,140, respectively, and the cash flow used in operation during the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $207 and $128, respectively. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering and private placement as discussed above. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
| F-9 |
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and 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 a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Common stock subject to mandatory redemption are classified as a liability instrument and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including 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, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s common stock feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, common stock subject to possible redemption are presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet.
| F-10 |
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of underwriting, legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholder’s equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses incurred, will be charged to operations. The Company has no deferred offering cost incurred as of September 30, 2023.
Net Loss per Common Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements ASC Topic 260, “Earnings per Share”. Net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares issued and outstanding for the period, excluding common shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 423,077 common shares that are subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the Underwriters. At September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common shares and then share in the losses of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per common share is the same as basic loss per common share for the periods.
| For the Year ended September 30, 2023 | For the Year ended September 30, 2022 | |||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (6,844 | ) | $ | (578 | ) | ||
| Denominator: | ||||||||
| Denominator for basic earnings per share – Weighted-average common shares issued and outstanding during the period | 2,820,513 | 2,820,513 | ||||||
| Denominator for diluted earnings per share | 2,820,513 | 2,820,513 | ||||||
| Basic loss per share | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | ||
| Diluted loss per share | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | ||
| F-11 |
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets were de minimis as of September 30, 2023 and 2022.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position 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. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. Based on the Company’s evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company’s financial statements. The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal and state taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such items as a component of income tax expense.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on the cash account.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On September 2, 2020, the Sponsor subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 4,312,500 shares (the “Founder Shares”) for a subscription price of $3,000. On October 26, 2023, the Sponsor agreed to surrender an aggregate of 1,068,910 shares of the Company’s common stock for no consideration, which were cancelled, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,243,590 Founder Shares. The subsequent cancellation is retrospectively reflected in the financial statements from day one.
If the Company increases or decreases the size of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will affect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to the Company’s common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of Founder Shares by the Sponsor at 22% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, not including the Private Placement Shares or the Representative Shares. Up to 423,077 Founder Shares held by the Sponsor are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
| F-12 |
Note 3 — Related Party Transactions (Continued)
The Sponsor and the officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares until the earlier of (i) six months after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or (ii) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after its initial business combination that results in all of its public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of the Company’s 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 its initial business combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up.
Due to Sponsor
As of September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had due to sponsor in amount of $50,000 and $0, respectively. The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 Private Placement Units (or 610,500 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit from the Company in a private placement, of which $50,000 was deposited to the Company as of September 30, 2023 to cover the Company’s operating cost and deferred offering cost and the balance will be due simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
Underwriting Agreement and Business Combination Marketing Agreement
The Company has engaged I-Bankers as to act as Underwriters on the proposed public offering of the Company’s Units, for $100 million and a simultaneous listing on Nasdaq Global Market (the “Proposed Public Offering”). This will be an initial public offering for the purpose of merging with or acquiring a company, otherwise known as a Special Purpose Acquisition Company or SPAC. Pursuant to an underwriting agreement, I-Bankers will provide the Company with financial services and assistance with respect to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 for the agreed upon number of the Company’s newly issued Units, plus an over-allotment option equal to 15% of the number of Units being offered (exercisable for a period of up to thirty days from the date the Proposed Public Offering is priced). The Company will pay I-Bankers a transaction fee equal to 3.0% of the gross proceeds raised in the Proposed Public Offering for such services upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable).
On or prior to the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will issue to I-Bankers 350,000 Representative Shares (or 395,000 shares if I-Bankers’ overallotment option is exercised in full) for no cash consideration.
In addition, under a business combination marketing agreement, the Company will engage I-Bankers to provide marketing services in connection with the Business Combination and will pay I-Bankers a cash fee for such marketing services upon the consummation of the Business Combination in an amount equal to, in the aggregate, 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, including any proceeds from the full or partial exercise of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the Company doesn’t complete a business combination, no M&A fee will be due. In addition, the Company will pay the I-Bankers a finder fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to a target if the business combination is consummated with a target introduced by the I-Bankers.
Administrative Services Agreement
The Company entered into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to pay the Chief Financial Officer a sum of $5,000 per month commencing on October 1, 2023. Upon completion of the initial business combination or the liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 Private Placement Units (or 610,500 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit from the Company in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Unit will consist of one share of common stock (“Private Placement Share”) and one right (“Private Placement Right”). Each Private Placement Right will entitle the holder to receive one-tenth of one share of common stock at the closing of a Business Combination, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Certain proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law), and the Private Placements Units and all underlying securities will expire worthless.
| F-13 |
Note 5 — Commitments and Contingency
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units (and their underlying securities) any Units that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and underlying securities), and Representative Shares will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The registration rights agreement does not contain liquidated damages or other cash settlement provisions resulting from delays in registering the Company’s securities. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Proposed Public Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The Underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.30 per Unit, or $3,000,000 in the aggregate (or $3,450,000 in the aggregate if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the Underwriters will be entitled to a M&A fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $3,500,000 in the aggregate (or $4,025,000 in the aggregate if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The M&A fee will become payable to the Underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the Underwriting agreement. In addition, if a Business Combination is consummated with a target introduced to the Company by the Underwriter, the Company will pay the Underwriter a finder fee equal to 1.0% of the consideration issued to the target.
Note 6 — Stockholders’ Equity
The Company is authorized to issue a total of 110,000,000 shares, par value of $0.0001 per share, consisting of (i) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), and (ii) 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”).
As of September 30, 2023 and 2022, there was no Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.
As of September 30, 2023 and 2022, 3,243,590 shares of Common Stock were issued and outstanding, of which 423,077 shares held by the Sponsor are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part so that the Sponsor will own 22% of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering, not including the Private Placement Shares or the Representative Shares.
Note 7 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to January 30, 2024, the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements other than the following.
Administrative Services Agreement
In October 2023, the Company entered into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to pay the Chief Financial Officer a sum of $5,000 per month commencing on October 1, 2023. The agreement further specified that upon completion of the initial business combination or the liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees. On January 22, 2024, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer resigned and the Administrative Services Agreement was terminated.
On January 22, 2024, the Company appointed a new Chief Financial Officer and entered into an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 24, 2024, pursuant to which the Company agreed to pay the Chief Financial Officer a sum of $5,000 per month commencing at the time of the IPO closing. The agreement further specified that upon completion of the initial business combination or the liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees
Subscription Agreements
From October 2023 through January 2024, the Company’s Sponsor entered into six subscription agreements to sell membership interests in the Sponsor to members of management, directors and director nominees. The membership interests represent the indirect equivalent of 500,000 Founders Shares which equates to 15.4% of the 3,243,590 Founders Shares (with over-allotment) issued and outstanding. The total purchase price paid for the membership interests was $2,500. The sale of the membership interests to the Company’s management, directors and director’s nominees is in the scope of FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value upon the grant date. The Company expects to recognize stock-based compensation over the applicable service period in an amount equal to the value of the membership interests as of the grant date less the amount initially received for the purchase of the membership interests.
On January 22, 2024, one of the subscription agreements representing an indirect equivalent of 100,000 Founders Shares or 3.08% of the 3,243,590 Founders Shares (with over-allotment) issued and outstanding was terminated and $500 was paid to the subscriber as a result of the termination of the agreement.
Due to Sponsor
In October and November 2023, $250,000 was deposited to the Company by the Sponsor to cover the Company’s operating cost and deferred offering cost, which was part of the proceeds from the sale of an aggregate of 570,000 Private Placement Units (or 610,500 Units if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit committed by the Sponsor in a private placement, the balance will be due simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
| F-14 |
IB ACQUISITION CORP.
10,000,000 Units
Preliminary Prospectus
, 2024
Joint Book-Running Managers
| I-Bankers Securities, Inc. | IB Capital LLC |
Through and including _________________, 2024 (25 days after the commencement of this offering), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This delivery is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be as follows assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised.
| Legal fees and expenses | 200,000 | |||
| Nasdaq listing and filing fees | 75,000 | |||
| Printing and EDGAR filing fees | 20,000 | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | 45,000 | |||
| SEC registration fees and FINRA filing fees | 35,000 | |||
| Directors and officer’s insurance | 500,000 | |||
| Underwriters and “road show” expenses | 100,000 | |||
| Miscellaneous | 25,000 | |||
| Total offering expenses | $ | 1,000,000 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will contain provisions that limit the liability of our current and former directors, officers, employees and agents for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law. Nevada law provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duties as directors, unless the presumption that the directors have acted in good faith, on an informed basis, and with a view to the interests of the corporation has been rebutted, in which case directors may be liable for damages resulting from intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
If the NRS is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated articles of incorporation, the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the NRS, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.
The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated articles of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if Nevada law requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated articles of incorporation or otherwise.
| II-1 |
The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated articles of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated articles of incorporation.
Our bylaws include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated articles of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the NRS.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.
We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Nevada law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters has agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On September 2, 2020, our sponsor subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares for a subscription price of $3,000. Prior to the above investment in the company, we had no assets, tangible or intangible. On October 26, 2023, our sponsor agreed to surrender an aggregate of 1,068,910 shares of our common stock for no consideration, which were cancelled, resulting in our sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,243,590 founder shares. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 570,000 units (or 610,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,700,000 in the aggregate, or $6,105,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. These issuances will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were or will be paid with respect to such sales.
| II-2 |
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
| (a) | Exhibits. The list of exhibits immediately preceding the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference. |
| (b) | Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement. |
Item 17. Undertakings.
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
| (b) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
| (c) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
| (4) | For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| * | Previously filed. |
| ** | Filed herewith. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York on the 30th day of January, 2024.
| IB ACQUISITION CORP. | ||
| By: | /s/ Al Lopez | |
| Name: | Al Lopez | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Position | Date | ||
| /s/ Al Lopez | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | January 30, 2024 | ||
| Al Lopez | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Christy Albeck | Chief Financial Officer | January 30, 2024 | ||
| Christy Albeck | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ John Joyce | Vice Chairman | January 30, 2024 | ||
| John Joyce | ||||
| * | Director | January 30, 2024 | ||
| Jian Zhang | ||||
| * | Director | January 30, 2024 | ||
| Silvia Panigone |
| * | By: | /s/ Al Lopez | ||
| Attorney-in-fact |
| II-5 |
Exhibit 10.6
IB Acquisition Corp.
2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A
Boca
Raton FL 33431
January 24, 2024
Re: Administrative Services Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter agreement by and between IB Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and Christy Albeck (“Chief Financial Officer”), dated as of the date hereof, will confirm our agreement that, commencing at the time of the IPO closing and continuing until the earlier of (i) the consummation by the Company of an initial business combination and (ii) the Company’s liquidation (in each case as described in the Registration Statement) (such earlier date hereinafter referred to as the “Termination Date”):
(i) Chief Financial Officer shall make available, or cause to be made available, to the Company, at 2500 N Military Trail, Suite 160-A, Boca Raton FL 33431 (or any successor location of the Company), certain office space, utilities, secretarial support and other administrative and consulting services as may be reasonably required by the Company. In exchange therefor, the Company shall pay to Sponsor the sum of $5,000 per month commencing at the time of the IPO closing and continuing monthly thereafter until the Termination Date; and
(ii) Chief Financial Officer hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title, interest, causes of action and claims of any kind as a result of, or arising out of, this letter agreement (each, a “Claim”) in or to, and any and all right to seek payment of any amounts due to it out of, the trust account established for the benefit of the public stockholders of the Company and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the Company’s initial public offering will be deposited (the “Trust Account”) as a result of, or arising out of, this letter agreement, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim it may have in the future, which Claim would reduce, encumber or otherwise adversely affect the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account, and further agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction of any Claim against the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of its subject matter and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby.
This letter agreement may not be amended, modified or waived as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by the parties hereto.
No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other party. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire relationship of the parties hereto, and any litigation between the parties (whether grounded in contract, tort, statute, law or equity) shall be governed by, construed in accordance with, and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada, without giving effect to its choice of law principles.
[Signature
Page Follows]
| Very truly yours, | ||
| IB ACQUISITION CORP. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Al Lopez | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY:
Christy Albeck
| By: | ||
| Name: | Christy Albeck | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
[Signature Page to Administrative Services Agreement]
| -2- |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of IB Acquisition Corp. (formerly known as I-B Good Works 4 Corporation) (the “Company”) on Amendment No. 2 to Form S-1 File No. 333-275650 of our report dated November 17, 2023, except for Note 7, as to which the date is January 30, 2024, with respect to our audits of the Company’s financial statements as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, and for each of years in the two-year period ended September 30, 2023, which report appears in the Registration Statement. Our report contains an explanatory paragraph regarding substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/s/ UHY LLP
New York, New York
January 30, 2024