As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2025
Registration No. XXX3-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
____________________
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
____________________
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Delaware |
6770 |
33-2152065 |
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(State or other jurisdiction of |
(Primary Standard Industrial |
(I.R.S. Employer |
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
851 Broken Sound Parkway Nw Boca Raton, FL 33487
Telephone: (310) 290-5383
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
____________________
Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
851 Broken Sound Parkway Nw Boca Raton, FL 33487
Telephone: (310) 290-5383
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
____________________
Copies to:
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Mitchell S. Nussbaum, Esq. |
Joseph Lucosky, Esq. Woodbridge, NJ 08830 (732) 395-4400 |
____________________
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.
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Large accelerated filer |
☐ |
Accelerated filer |
☐ |
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Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
☒ |
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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 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY 17, 2025
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$250,000,000
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
25,000,000 Units
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as a “target business.” Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region although we intend to initially focus on target companies within the media and entertainment industry with a primary focus on the United States, and in particular on identifying attractive targets among content studios and film production, family entertainment, animation, music, gaming, e-sports, talent management, and talent-facing brands and businesses. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction. If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares for a pro rata portion of the trust account, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us for our tax obligations, except not trust funds will be used to pay excise taxes (less up to $100,000 for our liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. We are offering 25,000,000 units. Each unit that we are offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “common stock”), one half warrant and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-eighth of a share of common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of the rights. As a result, you must have eight rights to receive one share of common stock at the closing of the initial business combination. Each full warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share.
Each full Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase up to one share of the common stock at a price of $11.50 per share of Common Stock, commencing on the later of: (i) one (1) year after the date that the registration statement for the Offering (the “Registration Statement”) is declared effective by the SEC (the “Effective Date”) and (ii) the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination (as defined below), and terminating on the five-year anniversary of the completion of the Business Combination. We have granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
The Company will deposit $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. This amount will come from the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants. Prior to the Company consummating a business combination transaction or the Company liquidating, the Company shall be authorized to use up to 10% of the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account to pay for the Company’s operational expenses.
Our sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC (“Sponsor”) and others, have committed that it and/or its designees will purchase from us an aggregate of 4,580,000 warrants or “private warrants” (or 4,805,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $1.00 per warrant for a total purchase price of $4,580,000 in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private warrants on a pro rata basis (up to a maximum of an additional 225,000 private warrants or 4,805,000 private warrants) at a price of $1.00 per private warrant or $225,000 (or $4,805,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust. Of these 4,580,000 private warrants (or 4,805,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), the Sponsor shall purchase [*] and [*] shall purchase [_________] warrants. These private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units at the time of the IPO, and the additional 225,000 private warrants at the time of the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units sold in this offering.
Of the 4,580,000 private warrants purchased by the Sponsor (or 4,805,000 private warrants if underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the non-managing sponsor investors shall be allocated through their membership interests in the sponsor [*] private warrants, which would result in them owning *% of the private warrants, with our officers and directors owning the remainder. [*] institutional investors (none of which are affiliated with any member of our management, our sponsor or any other investor), which we refer to as the “non-managing sponsor investors” throughout this prospectus, have expressed an interest to indirectly purchase, through the purchase of non-managing sponsor membership interests, an aggregate of [**] private warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant ($[**] in the aggregate) in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing sponsor investor purchasing, through the sponsor, the private warrants allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor investors reflecting interests in an aggregate of [***] founder shares held by the sponsor. As a result, the number of private warrants purchased by the non-managing sponsor investors through the sponsor, if any, will proportionally reduce the number of private warrants that would otherwise be purchased by the managing member of the sponsor through the sponsor.
The non-managing sponsor investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately _________________ units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). These non-managing sponsor investors could have the potential to realize enhanced economic returns from their investment as compared to other investors purchasing units in the offering to the extent they have purchased founder shares, which they purchased at a price of $0.002 per share (described more fully below). None of the non-managing sponsor investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the units to be sold in this offering. There can be no assurance that the non-managing sponsor investors will acquire any units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the units the non-managing sponsor investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, non-managing sponsor investors may determine to purchase a different number of units in this offering, or none at all. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the units to investors and may determine to sell a different number of units to the non-managing sponsor investors, including above 9.9% or none at all. See Risk Factor “Potential participation in this offering by our non-managing sponsor investors could reduce the public float for our securities. [In addition, if we don’t have at least 300/400 round lot investors, such limited number of public investors could impact our listing eligibility to meet the initial listing requirements for Nasdaq Capital Markets. See Risk Factor “Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions”.]
[If the sponsor non-managing members purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the sponsor non-managing members will potentially have different interests than our other public shareholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public shareholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares and private placement units as further discussed in this prospectus. For a discussion of certain additional arrangements with the non-managing sponsor investors, see “Summary — The Offering — Expressions of Interest.” [In the event that the non-managing sponsor investors purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because the non-managing sponsor investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these non-managing sponsor investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non-managing sponsor investors will vote on any business combination.]
The interests of the members of the sponsor are denominated in two classes of membership interest units: (i) class A membership units representing interests in the founder shares and (ii) class B membership units that will represent an interest in the private warrants. All members of the sponsor, including the managing member of the sponsor, and any sponsor non-managing member that may join the sponsor concurrently with this offering will hold both classes of membership units representing their proportional interest in the founder shares and private warrants, respectively. Pursuant to an agreement of all members of the sponsor, the management and control of the sponsor is vested exclusively with the managing member, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any non-managing members regardless of their unit ownership. All matters submitted to a vote by the managing member will require the affirmative vote of the class A membership units held only by the managing member, without regard to any membership interests held by any non-managing members. As a result, sponsor non-managing members will have no right to control the sponsor, or participate in any decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the sponsor, or otherwise.
The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on units purchased by the non-managing sponsor investors, if any, as it will on the other units sold to the public in this offering. In addition, none of the non-managing sponsor investors has any obligation to vote any of their public shares in favor of our initial business combination. For a discussion of certain additional arrangements with the non-managing sponsor investors, see “Summary — The Offering — Expressions of Interest.”
Our sponsor currently owns an aggregate of 12,321,429 shares of common stock (which were purchased for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 (or approximately $0.002 per share), up to 1,607,143 of which will be surrendered to us for no consideration after the closing of this offering depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, of which 2,800,000 will be allocated to anchor investors. The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline materially. See the section titled “Dilution” on page 57 for more information. See Risk Factor — “Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.002 per founder share and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares” and “The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline”.
The following table illustrates our net tangible book value per share at the specified redemption levels:
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As of November 30, 2024 |
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Offering |
25% of |
50% of |
75% of |
Maximum |
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NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
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Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$ |
6.49 |
5.81 |
3.08 |
4.82 |
4.07 |
3.21 |
5.68 |
0.14 |
8.75 |
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Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
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$ |
6.49 |
5.81 |
3.08 |
4.82 |
4.07 |
3.21 |
5.68 |
0.14 |
8.75 |
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See the Section entitled “Dilution” of this prospectus for additional information.
Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our shares of common stock, or other instruments, such as units, shares or rights, linked to our shares of common stock, following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. Additionally, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Similarly, the non-managing sponsor investors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities that may pose potential conflicts of interest with such non-managing sponsor investors in approving the business combination, which also may impact their decisions in otherwise exercising their rights as public shareholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares and private placement units. See “Summary — The Offering — Conflicts of interest”, “Management — Conflicts of Interest”, “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest”.
Commencing on the date on which our securities are listed on Nasdaq, we will pay our sponsor an aggregate of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. Upon consummation of this offering, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses. In the event that following this offering we obtain working capital loans from our sponsor to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $300,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per private warrant at the option of our sponsor which may have a dilutive effect on, and could reduce the value of the shares of common stock. Because our sponsor and any non-managing sponsor investors acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering. We will also reimburse our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. See “Prospectus Summary — Our Sponsor” for more information.
We have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of this offering or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate our initial business combination.
There is presently no public market for our units, shares of common stock, warrants or rights.
We have applied to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol “______” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless D. Boral Capital, LLC, the representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with 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. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the common stock, warrants and rights will be traded on NASDAQ under the symbols “______,” “_____W,” and “______R,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and will therefore be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 29 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per Unit |
Total |
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Public offering price |
$ |
10.00 |
$ |
250,000,000 |
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Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) |
$ |
0.06 |
$ |
1,500,000 |
||
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ |
9.94 |
$ |
248,500,000 |
||
____________
(1) Includes $0.06 per unit, or $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to D. Boral Capital.
Upon consummation of the offering, $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option has been exercised in full or in part) will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our redemption of our public shares.
The underwriters are offering the units on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to purchasers on or about , 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
Book-Running Manager
D. Boral Capital
________________, 2025
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. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
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1 |
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28 |
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29 |
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52 |
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53 |
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56 |
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57 |
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60 |
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
61 |
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64 |
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83 |
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93 |
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99 |
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102 |
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108 |
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110 |
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116 |
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124 |
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F-1 |
i
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. References in this prospectus to “we,” “us” or “our company” refer to Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II References in this prospectus to our “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) and references to “public stockholders” refer to the holders of our public shares, including our officers and directors to the extent they purchase public shares, provided that their status as “public stockholders” shall only exist with respect to such public shares. References in this prospectus to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors and references to our “initial stockholders” are to our sole stockholder prior to this offering (excluding D. Boral Capital), Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities issued in a transaction, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt, that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock. Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
General
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us.
Our efforts to identify a prospective initial business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team’s established global relationships and operating experience particularly in media and entertainment. As such, we intend to search globally for target companies with a focus on the media & entertainment (“M&E”) industry, with a focus on music, animation, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and more. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. None of our officers, directors, promoters or other affiliates has engaged in any substantive discussions on our behalf with representatives of other companies regarding the possibility of a potential business combination with us.
Overview
The members of our management team, including Jose A. Bengochea, our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chairman, and William Caragol, our Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), as well as our directors and strategic advisors have extensive experience with special purpose acquisition companies and consummating business combinations, including in the M&E industry.
Prior Special Purpose Acquisition Company Experience.
Prior SPAC Experience
Iron Horse Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: “IROH” and referred to herein as “Iron Horse I”) Mr. Bengochea, our CEO, founded Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) formed for substantially similar purposes as our Company. Several members of our management team and advisors served as an officer or director of Iron Horse I, a special purpose acquisition company. Mr. Bengochea, our CEO served as the CEO and a director of Iron Horse I, and Mr. Caragol, our CFO, served as both CFO and COO of Iron Horse I. Mr. Hertz, Mr. Turner and Mr. Morris, our financial advisors, all serve as the independent directors on the board of directors of Iron Horse I. Iron Horse I closed its IPO on December 29, 2023 after its registration statement was declared effective on December 27, 2023. In September, 2024, Iron Horse I entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”), dated as of September 27, 2024, with Rosey Sea Holdings Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“Seller”) and the owner of 100% of the issued
1
and outstanding capital stock of Zhong Guo Liang Tou Group Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (the “Target”).The share price of IROH as listed on January [*], 2025 was $___. Iron Horse I has until June 29, 2025 to complete its business combination unless such time is extended by a vote of its stockholders at a special meeting convened to extend the time to complete a business combination.
Iron Horse I was founded on the premise that there were growing global opportunities in the M&E industry, as well as in the tangential consumer products industry with close ties to M&E that could unlock additional value. The attractiveness of the M&E space has only grown since the Iron Horse I IPO. For instance, global M&E industry revenues beat several projections by growing to $2.8 trillion in 2023 and are expected to reach $3.4 trillion by 2028 according to a 2024 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. A clear driver of change in this space has been the advent of AI and proliferation of AI-based technologies as the industries’ pandemic-related woes have largely been erased, allowing for increase in entertainment bundling on entertainment streaming, gaming and virtual experiences, as well as a growing revival of real-life, event-driven, and in-person M&E experiences.
As a result, our management team believes a number of strong and growing M&E businesses are now in a position to benefit from capital and industry expertise to achieve their full growth potential and harness the opportunities unlocked by these recent changes.
Our Sponsor
Our sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company, which was formed to invest in us. Although our sponsor is permitted to undertake any activities permitted under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and other applicable law, our sponsor’s business is focused on investing in our company. The managing member of the sponsor is Mr. Bengochea, our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bengochea controls the management of our sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by our sponsor. Of the 4,580,000 private warrants, [*] warrants will be purchased by the sponsor in the private placement, and the non-managing sponsor investors have been allocated through their membership interests in the sponsor [*] private warrants, or *% of the private warrants, with our officers and directors owning the remainder.
See “Summary — The Offering — Private placement units.”
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our sponsor and its affiliates from us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and the securities issued and to be issued by us to our sponsor or its affiliates:
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Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be Received |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid |
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Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC |
$50,000 per month, commencing on the first date on which our securities are listed on the Nasdaq |
An aggregate of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. |
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12,321,429(1) shares of common stock |
$25,000 |
2
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Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be Received |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid |
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[4,580,000](2) Private warrants to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering(1)(2) |
$4,580,000 |
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Up to $300,000 |
Repayment of loans made to us to cover offering related and organizational expenses |
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination |
Expenses incurred in connection with identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination |
____________
(1) Assumes the full forfeiture of 1,607,143 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
[(2) The sponsor non-managing members have expressed an interest to purchase sponsor non-managing membership interests reflecting interests in an aggregate of [*] of the 350,000 private warrants to be purchased by our sponsor (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), at a price of $1.00 per interest ( $4,580,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of the 4,580,000 private warrants, [*] units will be purchase by the sponsor, of which the non-managing sponsor investors shall be allocated through their membership interests in the sponsor, [*] private warrants, which would result in them owning *% of the private warrants, with our officers and directors owning the remainder.]
The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares, private shares and private placement units will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account.
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public stockholders will incur immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the private warrants. See the sections titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities — The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline.” and “Dilution.”
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor and other initial stockholders are likely to make a substantial profit on their investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our shares of common stock to decline materially. The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:
|
Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price |
||||||||||||
|
Number |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
|||||||||||
|
Initial Stockholders(1) |
10,714,286 |
30 |
% |
$ |
25,000 |
0.01 |
% |
$ |
0.002 |
|||||
|
Public Stockholders |
25,000,000 |
70 |
% |
|
250,000,000 |
99.99 |
% |
$ |
10.00 |
|||||
|
35,714,286 |
100.0 |
% |
$ |
250,025,000 |
100.00 |
% |
|
|||||||
____________
(1) Assumes the full forfeiture of 1,607,143 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
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Business Strategy
Our team has demonstrated an extensive global track record of successful acquisitions, value creation, and value enhancement, both in and outside the M&E industry, most recently demonstrated by our previous Management Team’s previous SPAC Iron Horse I.
We believe our team’s track record encompasses successful experiences through negotiating deals across numerous industries, working directly with operators and navigating companies through acquisition transactions (as both acquiror and acquiree), expanding product ranges for existing businesses, and providing strategic guidance to develop revenue and commercial opportunities.
Management Team
Our management team has a long history of value creation in the private and public markets, with a strong track record of creating value for stockholders including through acquiring and operating successful businesses within our target sectors. Several members of our team have unique networks and relationships and extensive experience sourcing and executing transactions that will enhance our ability to identify, negotiate and complete a successful business combination and accelerate the growth trajectory and profitability of the acquired business post-business combination.
We believe that we are well positioned to identify attractive acquisition opportunities, in particular because our team expects to utilize their access to industry contacts and proprietary deal flow to generate business combination opportunities. We believe that our team’s networks in particular will broaden our access to potential transaction opportunities outside typical competitive deal sourcing intermediaries. Our team is well-connected in our target sectors and, as such, we have the opportunity to be potential targets’ preferred partner for opportunities that they might think are appropriate for a SPAC acquisition, beginning with members of the Iron Horse I team returning with their experience in SPAC deals and in public markets.
Jose Antonio Bengochea is our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Bengochea has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Iron Horse I since November 2021, and has served as the managing member of Bengochea SPAC Sponsor I LLC, the sponsor of Iron Horse I since November 2021. Mr. Bengochea is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bengochea Capital LLC (“Bengochea Capital”), an investment firm founded in 2020 to pursue frontier asset classes and, through Mr. Bengochea’s network of connections to various M&E industry executives and celebrities, to examine global opportunities in media and entertainment. Bengochea Capital has been a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the 2023 Grammy Awards; is currently a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards; has been present at the Cannes Film Festival, among other prestigious events; and has access to several animation, family, and IP potential deal-flow, with a growing number of business touchpoints across Asia. Prior to founding Bengochea Capital, Mr. Bengochea was a part of Sony’s Global Business Development team in Los Angeles and, prior to that, served as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Jenner & Block in New York City. Mr. Bengochea holds an A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard University, where he designed his own degree, entitled Comparative Imperial History, and graduated with a secondary specialization in Archaeology. Mr. Bengochea also holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
William Caragol is our Chief Financial Officer and a director of the Company. Mr. Caragol has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Iron Horse I since December 2023. Mr. Caragol has over thirty years of experience working with growth stage companies. In 2018, he founded and is the Managing Director of Quidem LLC, a corporate strategic and financial advisory firm. Since July 2021 he has been the Chief Financial Officer of Mainz Biomed N.V. (NASDAQ: MYNZ), a molecular genetics diagnostic company specializing in the early detection of cancer. Since 2015, Mr. Caragol has been Chairman of the Board of Thermomedics, Inc., a privately held medical diagnostic equipment company. Since July 2021, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Worksport Ltd. (NASDAQ: WKSP), a growth stage technology company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. Since July 2023, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Janover, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNVR), a PrB2B fintech marketplace company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Caragol served on the Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Audit Committee of Greenbox POS (NASDAQ: GBOX) a financial technology company leveraging proprietary blockchain security to build customized payment solutions. Mr. Caragol earned a B.S. in business administration and accounting from Washington & Lee University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
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Management is joined by four new members to serve on the board of directors, including Tarron Hecox, Melissa Escobar, and Dr. Constantino Mendieta.
Tarron Hecox will serve as our lead independent director of the Company. Mr. Hecox has ample public markets and operational experience. Since 2019, he has held various commercial roles at AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a Fortune 500 company. Previously, Mr. Hecox worked with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, William Blair & Company, and Parnassus Investments, and he also formerly co-founded Spartan Capital L.L.C. in 2017, a private fund formed to pursue technology opportunities. Mr. Hecox is also well versed in SPACs and entertainment through the private fund he co-founded in 2014, Limitless Strategies, LLC, which focuses on creating value through public and private investments in media, entertainment, and AI. Mr. Hecox received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2016; an undergraduate degree with highest distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied economics, finance, and accounting; a masters from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and has held a CPA designation.
Ms. Melissa de Assis Escobar will serve as an independent director of the Company. Ms. Escobar is an especially prominent global figure in entertainment, having been recognized as a pioneer in the development of Hispanic content and global talent. She co-founded Latin World Entertainment alongside actress Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer in 1994, and together leads Latin World Entertainment’s growth into a multicultural entertainment leader specializing in series, documentaries, films, and brand marketing, with an audience of over 900 million global followers through its network. Under Ms. Escobar’s leadership, Latin World Entertainment has won critical acclaim, having produced works such as Griselda for Netflix and Maradona: Sueño Bendito for Amazon Prime. In all, she has over 30 years of entertainment experience, having worked with top-tier companies such as Telemundo, Univision, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube/Google, Disney Buenavista, ABC and HBO Latino. Her team has marketed over 1,000 major Hollywood studio films to Hispanics, and promoted premier Spanish-language music tours for the largest live entertainment companies in the USA.
Dr. Constantino Mendieta will serve as an independent director of the Company. Dr. Mendieta is renown surgeon, having appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the founder Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, a family office focusing in part on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. Dr. Mendieta is an avid global technology and entertainment investor as well as a leading, Board Certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Dr. Mendieta founded the 4Beauty Aesthetic Institute in 2002 and serves as founder and lead surgeon. Dr. Mendieta has appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the Consumer Research Council in America has named Dr. Mendieta one of America’s Top Surgeons five years in a row. In 2018, Dr. Mendieta also founded his family office, Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, which, in part, focuses on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. He is also the doctor to several high-profile musicians, models, and celebrities. Dr. Mendieta holds a B.S. in Psychology from Creighton University, MD from Creighton University. Dr. Mendieta has Fellowship of Plastic Surgery from the Royal College Of Surgeon, Edinburgh, Scotland, performed plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Fellowship in Aesthetic Surgery and Clinical Fellow from Harvard Medical School.
In addition, all three independent directors from Iron Horse I are returning as Strategic Advisors.
Ken Hertz will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company, and has been serving since December 2023 as an Iron Horse I independent director and Chairman of Iron Horse I’s Executive Committee. Mr. Hertz is currently a director for JUST GOODS and has served as a Senior Partner in the Los Angeles law firm of Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk LLP since 2007. Mr. Hertz and his partners specialize in representing talent, senior executives, entrepreneurs, agencies, and brands in entertainment, fashion, sports, media, and technology industries. Prior to forming the firm, Mr. Hertz had been a partner in Hansen Jacobson & Teller, since 1989. Before that, he was global head of music — business and legal affairs — for The Walt Disney Company. He is also a principal in memBrain — an entertainment marketing and strategy consulting firm that advises a number of C-Suite executives on their company’s entertainment related marketing strategies. memBrain has worked with Intel, McDonald’s, Hasbro, MillerCoors, Li & Fung and Logitech. Mr. Hertz has also been an active early-stage venture investor and advisor since 1997 and is a frequent speaker and commentator on the subjects of entertainment, marketing and convergence. He is often quoted in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal, has appeared on CNBC’s monthly newsmagazine “Business Nation,”
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has been an instructor at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, Marshall School of Business, Stanford Business School, and an adjunct professor of law at USC. He graduated UCLA with a J.D. in 1984 and U.C. Berkeley in 1981 with a B.S.
Brian Turner will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Turner has been serving since December 2023 as the Chairman of the board of directors of Iron Horse I and was formerly Chair of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space. He has served on numerous public and private companies boards of directors as well. Mr. Turner was the Chief Financial Officer of Coinstar Inc. from 2003 until June 2009. Prior to Coinstar, from 2001 to 2003, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Real Networks, Inc., a digital media and technology company. Prior to Real Networks, from 1999 to 2001, Mr. Turner was employed by Bsquare Corp., a software company, where he initially served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary, before being promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Turner was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration of Radisys Corp., an embedded software company. Mr. Turner’s experience also includes 13 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where he held several positions including Director of Corporate Finance. Mr. Turner was formerly Chairman of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space, and is now Chair of the Audit Committee for MVIS. Mr. Turner has also been a director for several private companies. Mr. Turner holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington.
Scott Morris, will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Morris was an Iron Horse I independent director and has been Chairman of Avista (NYSE: AVA) since 2008. Mr. Morris started his career at AVA in 1981. From 2008 to 2019, he served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and served as Avista’s President from 2008 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Morris was also the company’s Chief Operating Officer. His experiences include management positions in multiple industries, including construction, customer service, and utilities. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University and received his master’s degree from Gonzaga University in organizational leadership. He also attended the Stanford Business School Financial Management Program and the Kidder Peabody School of Financial Management. Mr. Morris serves on the boards of McKinstry Inc. and California Water Service. He is also on the Board of Trustees of Gonzaga University. He has served on a number of Spokane nonprofit and economic development Boards.
The past performance of our management team is not a guarantee that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. Our management team may have had acquisitions or investments that were not successful. You should not rely on the historical record of our management’s performance as indicative of our future performance.
Commitment to Diversity
As a first generation American and native Spanish speaker, Mr. Bengochea is a passionate advocate of greater diversity in entertainment, media, and in the public markets, and is honored to serve once again as one of the only Hispanic executives on the public markets. Ms. Escobar is also proud to serve as one of the only Hispanic directors on the public markets, herself being originally from Colombia and having dedicated much of her career to promoting Hispanic talent, such as Sofia Vergara, and empowering Hispanic voices through entertainment. Dr. Mendieta, one of our Independent Directors, is also a first-generation Hispanic immigrant.
Acquisition Strategy
Our team intends to leverage its skills, expertise and networks within the team’s international hubs, particularly within the media, entertainment, and AI industries, to identify attractive target companies and provide guidance on the benefits of being a publicly-traded entity, including broader access to capital, increased liquidity for potential acquisitions, expanded branding opportunities in the marketplace, reputational and consumer confidence gains, and on the process of transitioning from a private company to a public registrant. We also expect to be able to source potential targets from our team’s contacts within private equity, with celebrities, with M&E investors, and with various industry leaders. Upon completion of this offering, each of our team members will communicate our acquisition criteria to their respective networks and immediately begin screening opportunities.
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Consistent with this strategy, we have identified parameters and criteria that we think are important and relevant in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to apply these parameters in evaluating prospects, although we may ultimately decide to execute our initial business combination with a company that may not match all of our initial parameters:
• Growth Prospects: We intend to seek companies with high growth trajectories that are driven by competitive advantages that can be accelerated or magnified through a partnership with us and access to the public markets.
• Earnings Potential: We intend to acquire one or more businesses that have multiple and diverse potential drivers of revenue and earnings growth and that have the potential to generate strong and stable free cash flow.
• M&E Focus: We intend to prioritize entities within our team’s core spheres of expertise and from among our team’s networks, such as family entertainment, animation, gaming, music, and businesses which we believe have benefited from the global pandemic and subsequent evolution of media and AI.
• Public Advantages: We intend to seek target companies that are public market ready and whose leadership teams have the vision to take advantage of and appreciate the benefits of becoming a publicly-traded entity.
• Evolving Circumstance: We intend to seek companies which are capitalizing on industry shifts and trends created by various factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the migration toward new global consumption patterns, and the proliferation of AI-based technologies.
• Valuations: We consider ourselves to be rigorous, disciplined and valuation-centric investors, with a keen understanding of market value and successful track record. We intend to seek companies with a respectable market share and growth potential in the segments in which they operate.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines, as well as other considerations, factors and criteria deemed relevant by our management in effecting our initial business combination consistent with our business objectives. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us.
We are not prohibited from pursuing a business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event that we seek to complete a business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that our business combination is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view. In the event that we seek such a business combination, the independent members of our Board of Directors would be required to approve the transaction.
Effecting a Business Combination
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or don’t vote at all, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell 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 (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of our proposed business combination or 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. If we decide to allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy 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
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initial business combination. We have no specified maximum percentage threshold for conversions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and even those public stockholders who vote in favor of our initial business combination have the right to convert their public shares. As a result, this may make it easier for us to consummate our initial business combination.
The Company will deposit $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. This amount will come from the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants. Prior to the Company consummating a business combination transaction or the Company liquidating, the Company shall be authorized to use up to 10% of the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account to pay for the Company’s operational expenses.
We will have up to 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within such time period, we will redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us for the payment of taxes, but not excise tax, as described herein (and less up to $100,000 of interest which can be used for liquidation expenses and less 10% of the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account to pay for the Company’s operational expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per share of common stock (regardless of whether or not the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option), without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public stockholders.
NASDAQ listing rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination (excluding taxes payable). The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). Although our Board of Directors will rely on generally accepted standards, our Board of Directors will have discretion to select the standards employed. In addition, the application of the standards generally involves a substantial degree of judgment. Accordingly, investors will be relying on the business judgment of the Board of Directors in evaluating the fair market value of the target or targets. The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents used by us in connection with any proposed transaction will provide public stockholders with our analysis of the fair market value of the target business, as well as the basis for our determinations. If our board is not able independently to determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on NASDAQ for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% fair market value test.
We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or a newly formed subsidiary or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we intend to 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. 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 could 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
8
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% fair market value test.
Potential Conflicts
Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own shares of our common stock, or other instruments, such as units, warrants and rights, linked to our common stock, following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors have agreed to present to us all target business opportunities that have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations they may have. As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that might be attractive to any entity to which he has fiduciary or contractual obligations, he may be required to present such initial business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such initial business combination opportunity to us. For more information on the relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our management team, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
We believe our management team’s significant operating and transaction experience and relationships will provide us with a substantial number of potential initial business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world in the M&E industry. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team will provide us important sources of investment opportunities.
Members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private warrants following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public stockholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares and private placement units may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target. However, based on the fact that there may be substantial overlap between any such companies, businesses or investments that would be a suitable business combination for us, and because we may consummate a business combination with a target in a broad array of industries, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
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Private Placements
In November 2024, we issued an aggregate of 12,321,429 shares of our common stock, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the “Founders Shares,” for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.002 per share, to our initial stockholders (i.e., Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, our Sponsor).
The Founders Shares held by our initial stockholders include an aggregate of up to 1,607,143 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our initial stockholders will continue to own approximately 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering).
In addition, our sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC and others, have agreed that it will purchase from us an aggregate of 4,580,000 private warrants at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,580,000 in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they and/or their designees will purchase from us an additional number of private warrants (up to a maximum of 225,000 additional private warrants at $1.00 per private warrant in order to maintain in the trust account at least $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units sold in this offering. The proceeds from the private placement of the private warrants will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. If we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private warrants will be included in the liquidating distribution to our public stockholders and the private warrants will be worthless.
Additional Financing
We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private warrants. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public stockholders, 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 or convertible debt transactions. These financing transactions would be designed to ensure a return on investment to the investor in exchange for assisting the company in completing the business combination or providing sufficient liquidity to the post-combination company. The price of the shares of common stock we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time. Any such issuances of equity securities could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders. These financing transactions may be significantly dilutive to the post-combination company, and represent the type of financing risk that is not associated with traditional initial public offerings. We cannot assure you that financing will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. None of our initial stockholders, directors or officers or their affiliates are obligated to provide any such financing to us. 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. If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our public stockholders may suffer significant dilution and these securities could have rights that rank senior to our public shares of common stock. If we raise additional funds through the incurrence of indebtedness, such indebtedness would have rights that are senior to our equity securities and could contain covenants that restrict our operations. Further, as described above, due to the anti-dilution rights of our founder shares, our public stockholders may incur material additional dilution.
We may 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 any forward purchase agreements, backstop or similar agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such
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financing simultaneously with the completion of our 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.
In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our directors, officers or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at [NEW OFFICE] and our telephone number is (310) 290-5383
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and 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 end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; 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.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
11
THE OFFERING
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Securities offered |
25,000,000 units (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one share of common stock, one-half warrant, and one right to one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock. |
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Listing of our securities and proposed |
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Trading commencement and separation of common stock, warrants and rights |
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Once the shares of common stock, warrants and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of common stock, warrants and rights. |
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In no event will the common stock, warrants and rights be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC containing 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. We will also include the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if D. Boral Capital has allowed separate trading of the common stock, warrants and rights prior to the 52nd day after the date of this prospectus. |
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Units: |
25,000,000 units (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one (1) share of common stock, one-half (1/2) warrant to purchase one (1) share of common stock at $11.50 per share, and one (1) right which entitles the holder to one-eight (1/8) share of common stock upon the closing of the business combination. |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
0 units |
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Number outstanding after this offering |
25,000,000 units (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)(2) |
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Shares of common stock: |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
12,321,429(1) |
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Number to be outstanding after this offering and private placement |
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Rights: |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
0 |
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Number of rights to be outstanding after this offering |
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Warrants |
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Public warrants: |
12,500,000 public warrants (or 14,375,000 public warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) |
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Private Warrants: |
4,580,000 private warrants (or 4,805,000 private warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
0 warrants |
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Number to be sold in private placement |
4,580,000 private warrants(2) |
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Number to be outstanding after this offering and private placement |
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Exercisability |
Each one-half (1/2) warrant offered in this offering must be combined with another one-half (1/2) warrant to be exercisable to purchase one (1) share of common stock. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Each warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. Each full Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase up to one share of the common stock at a price of $11.50 per share of Common Stock, commencing on the later of: (i) one (1) year after the date that the registration statement for the Offering (the “Registration Statement”) is declared effective by the SEC (the “Effective Date”) and (ii) the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination (as defined below), and terminating on the five-year anniversary of the completion of the Business Combination. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the fifth anniversary of our completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation of the trust account. |
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We have structured each unit to contain one-half of one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one (1) share of common stock, as compared to units issued by some other similar special purpose acquisition companies which contain whole warrants exercisable for one share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination as compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. |
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(1) Represents 12,321,429 Founder Shares, which includes an aggregate of up to 1,607,143 Founder Shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full.
(2) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 1,607,143 Founder Shares have been forfeited.
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Exercise price |
$11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our Board of Directors, and in the case of any such issuance to our initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founders Shares held by them prior to such issuance), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the greater of (i) the Market Value or (ii) the price at which we issue the additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities. |
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No warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such shares of common stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. |
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Redemption |
We may redeem the outstanding warrants in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant at any time after the warrants become exercisable, upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, if, and only if, the last sales price of our shares of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period commencing at any time after the shares underlying the warrants have become exercisable and ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption; and if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the shares of common stock underlying such warrants. |
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If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption, each warrant holder can exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the shares of common stock may fall below the $18.00 trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued. |
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If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” for this purpose shall mean the average reported last sale price of the shares of common stock for the five trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. |
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Terms of rights |
Each holder of a right will receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a public right will automatically receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-eight (1/8) of one share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with applicable law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 8 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period, and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. |
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Securities purchased, or being purchased, by insiders in connection with this offering |
Our Sponsor initially purchased an aggregate of 12,321,429 Founders Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. The 12,321,429 Founders Shares held by our initial stockholders includes an aggregate of up to 1,607,143 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full or in part. Our initial stockholders will be required to forfeit only a number of Founders Shares necessary to continue to maintain the approximately 20% ownership interest in our shares of common stock after giving effect to the offering and exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). The Founders Shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering. However, our Sponsor, initial stockholders and officers and directors have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to convert any shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or sell any shares to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination, and (C) that the Founders Shares will not participate in any liquidating distributions from our trust account upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. |
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Our sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, and/or its designees will purchase simultaneously with the consummation of this offering an aggregate of 4,580,000 private warrants at $1.00 per private warrant for a total purchase price of $4,580,000 pursuant to subscription agreements with us. Each warrant may be exercised to purchase one (1) share of common stock at $11.50 per share. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it will purchase from us, on a pro rata basis, an additional number of private warrants (up to a maximum of 225,000 additional private warrants) at a price of $1.00 per warrant in an amount necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of Public Units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private warrants are identical to the warrants sold in this offering. |
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As a result, if we sought stockholder approval of a proposed transaction we could need as little as 7,142,858 of our 25,000,000 public shares (or approximately 29% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming all shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). If only a minimum number of shares are voted to reach a quorum for the meeting, we do not need any public shares to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). |
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Restrictions on transfer of Founders Shares and private warrants |
Our initial stockholders have agreed that the Founders Shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained in New York, New York by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow (subject to certain limited exceptions set forth below) for a period ending on the 180-day anniversary of the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. The limited exceptions include transfers, assignments or sales (i) to our or our initial stockholders’ officers, directors, consultants or their affiliates, (ii) to an entity’s members upon its liquidation, (iii) to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (iv) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (v) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (vi) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, or (vii) in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased, in each case (except for clause (vi) or with our prior consent) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and to be bound by these transfer restrictions. |
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The purchasers of the private warrants also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants, including the underlying shares of common stock (except in connection with the same limited exceptions that the Founders Shares may be transferred as described above), until after the completion of our initial business combination. Assuming no liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction takes place, lock-ups on securities owned by our initial shareholder would expire as follows: |
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Founder Shares |
Private Warrants |
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6 months after the completion of our initial business combination |
30 days after the completion of our business combination |
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Expression of Interest: |
The non-managing sponsor investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately [_____________] units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of the non-managing sponsor investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the units to be sold in this offering. There can be no assurance that the non-managing sponsor investors will acquire any units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the units the non-managing sponsor investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, non-managing sponsor investors may determine to purchase a different number of units in this offering, or none at all. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the units to investors and may determine to sell a different number of units to the non-managing sponsor investors, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on units purchased by the non-managing sponsor investors, if any, as it will on the other units sold to the public in this offering. In addition, none of the non-managing sponsor investors has any obligation to vote any of their public shares in favor of our initial business combination. In the event that the non-managing sponsor investors purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because the non-managing sponsor investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these non-managing sponsor investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non managing sponsor investors will vote on any business combination. |
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The non-managing sponsor investors are not granted any stockholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public stockholders, and will only be issued membership interests in the sponsor, with no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor, including the founder shares and the private placement units held by the sponsor. Further, the non-managing sponsor investors are not required to (i) hold any units, shares of common stock or public rights they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any shares of common stock they may own at the applicable time in favor |
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of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor investors will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public stockholders. |
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However, if the non-managing sponsor investors purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the non-managing sponsor investors will potentially have different interests than our other public stockholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public stockholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares as further discussed in this prospectus. Any trading decisions made by any of the foregoing entities will be made by them based on market conditions at the time of the proposed sale or redemption. The underwriter’s affiliates will not become non-managing sponsor investors or receive any economic or other interest in the sponsor. |
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Offering proceeds to be held in trust |
We will deposit $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. This amount will come from the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants. Except as set forth below, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of an initial business combination and our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, except as set forth below, unless and until an initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement to acquire a target business. |
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account any interest earned on the funds in the trust account: (1) 10% of the interest earned on the funds in the trust account may be used by the Company to pay the operating expenses of the Company; and (2) the Company with withdraw from the interest earned on the funds in the trust account such sums that we need to pay our income or other tax obligations (excluding any excise taxes or any other similar taxes 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 of 2022 on any redemptions or stock buybacks by our company). With this exception, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account (initially estimated to be $2,200,000). Additionally, in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds available to us are insufficient, our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, on a non-interest bearing basis, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan |
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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, if there are excess proceeds, upon closing of this offering. 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. Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of November 30, 2024, we had not borrowed any amounts (of up to $300,000 available to us) under the promissory note with our sponsor, of which we have chosen $____________ to be repaid at closing of the initial public offering of the Company’s securities, leaving $___________ to be repayable either on (a) the date on which the SPAC consummates its initial business combination or, at the holder’s discretion, if funds allow, or (b) the date on which the Company concludes the initial public offering of its securities. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and will be repaid with proceeds not held in the trust account. |
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None of the warrants may be exercised until 30 days after the consummation of a business combination and, thus, after the proceeds of the trust account have been disbursed. Accordingly, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
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Limited payments to insiders |
There will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates for any services they render prior to, or in order to effectuate the consummation of, an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) 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: • Repayment of up to an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; • payment of a total of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. • reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations; • repayment of non-interest-bearing loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Except as set forth above, 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. |
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Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to our officers, directors, initial stockholders or our or their respective affiliates, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval. |
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Stockholder approval of, or tender offer in connection with, initial business combination |
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If we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, this may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. |
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Our initial stockholders and officers and directors and their affiliates have agreed (i) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (ii) not to convert any shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (iii) not to sell any shares to us in a tender offer in connection with any proposed business combination. |
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None of our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares of common stock from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed business combination, our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to reduce the number of shares being submitted for redemption in connection with such vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers, directors, initial stockholders and their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to prevent potential manipulation of a company’s stock. |
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Conversion rights |
In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public stockholder will have the right, regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed business combination or does not vote at all, to demand that we convert his shares into a pro rata share of the trust account. |
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We may require public stockholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either (i) physically tender their certificates to our transfer agent or (ii) deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case prior to a date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials sent in connection with the proposal to approve the business combination. There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a nominal amount and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting holder. |
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Liquidation if no business combination |
We will have up to 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. |
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If we are unable to complete an initial business combination by 24 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 outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to us to pay liquidation 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 the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims. Although we are required to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target |
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businesses enter into agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. There is also no guarantee that the third parties would not challenge the enforceability of these waivers and bring claims against the trust account for monies owed them. Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, an entity affiliated with Jose A. Bengochea, our Chief Executive Officer, has agreed that it will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per share (or any increased amount as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein) by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us. The agreement entered into by Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC specifically provides for two exceptions to the indemnity given: Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC will have no liability (1) as to any claimed amounts owed to a target business or vendor or other entity who has executed an agreement with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account, or (2) as to any claims for indemnification by the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. MaloneBailey, LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. We have not independently verified whether Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, we have not asked it to reserve for such obligations and we do not believe it has any significant liquid assets. Accordingly, we believe it is unlikely that it will be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations if it is required to do so. |
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The holders of the Founders Shares will not participate in any redemption distribution from our trust account with respect to such shares. |
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If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination and we expend all of the net proceeds of this offering not deposited in the trust account, we expect that the initial per-share redemption price will be approximately $10.00 (which is equal to the anticipated aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account excluding interest earned on the funds held in the trust account without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein). The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of our stockholders. In addition, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case 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. Therefore, the actual per-share redemption price may be less than $10.00 without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. |
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We will pay the costs of any liquidation from the net proceeds from this offering and the private placement held out of trust and the up to $100,000 of interest income available to us from the trust account to pay for our liquidation expenses. |
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Conflicts of Interest: |
As described in “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.002 per share. Accordingly, our management team, which owns interests in our sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier or less-established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public stockholders paid for their public shares. |
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As described above, certain members of our management team will receive compensation upon consummation of our initial business combination, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as such compensation will not be received unless we consummate such business combination. In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur expenses on our behalf in connection with an initial business combination, such persons may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as such loans may not be repaid and/or such expenses may not be reimbursed unless we consummate such business combination. Similarly, if we agree to pay our sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, such persons may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination. |
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Our sponsor, officers or directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target. Based on the existing relationships of our sponsor, directors and officers, their level of financial investment in us and the potential loss of such investment if no business combination is consummated, the fact that we may consummate a business combination with a target in a broad array of industries, we believe there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for their other businesses. Therefore we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. |
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Our executive officers and our directors may have interests that differ from you in connection with the business combination, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, and accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Additionally, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and pursuing an initial business combination or completing our initial business combination. The different timelines of competing business combinations could cause our directors and executive officers to prioritize a different business combination over finding a suitable acquisition target for our business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and executive officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest, which could negatively impact the timing for a business combination. We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, directors or members of our management team; accordingly, such affiliated person(s) may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public stockholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. |
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In addition to the above, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including selecting a business combination target and monitoring the related due diligence. See “Risk Factors — Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.” |
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Additionally, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Further, our sponsor and executive officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private warrants may expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until 12 months after the completion of our initial business combination. With certain limited exceptions, the private warrants and the shares of common stock underlying the private warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and executive officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares and rights following this offering, our executive officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination because of their financial interest in completing an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve. |
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Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
• We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, and we would redeem our public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account, and we would liquidate. In such event, our rights and warrants would expire worthless.
• Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to convert your shares to cash.
• Our initial stockholders will control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a stockholder vote.
• The ability of our public stockholders to exercise their conversion rights or sell their shares to us in a tender offer may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
• We may require stockholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights.
• We may issue additional shares of capital stock or debt securities to complete a business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our stockholders and likely cause a change in control of our ownership.
• We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if required, to complete a business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business.
• We may not obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to acquire and therefore you may be relying solely on the judgment of our Board of Directors in approving a proposed 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.
• Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by public health concerns, rising interest rates, and other current or future events, including the status of debt and equity markets.
• 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.
• If we consummate a business combination with a target company with assets located outside of the United States, our results of operations and prospects could be subject to the economic, political, and legal policies, developments, and conditions in the country in which we operate. Further, exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause our ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
• Our officers and directors presently have fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
• Our officers and directors may have interests in a potential business combination that are different than yours, which may create conflicts of interest.
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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 will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our common stock.
• We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by a majority of the then outstanding warrants.
• We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
• 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.
• 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.
• If third parties bring claims against us, and if our directors decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, or if Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC does not have the funds to indemnify us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein.
• Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock and could entrench management.
• Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.
• 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.
• We have no operating history, and, accordingly, you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
• If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
• We are an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
• Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
• 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.”
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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, and accordingly only balance sheet data is presented.
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November 30, 2024 |
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Actual |
As |
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Working capital (deficiency) |
$ |
(16,275 |
) |
2,004,525 |
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Total assets |
$ |
15,000 |
|
252,223,725 |
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|
Total liabilities |
$ |
16,275 |
|
219,200 |
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Value of common stock subject to possible conversion/tender |
$ |
— |
|
250,000,000 |
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Stockholders’ (deficit) equity |
$ |
(1,275 |
) |
2,004,525 |
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(1) The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering and the sale of the private warrants including the application of the related gross proceeds and the payment of the estimated remaining costs from such sale and the repayment of the accrued and other liabilities required to be repaid, and assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option in the aggregate of 1,607,143 Founders Shares that have been forfeited as a result thereof.
The “as adjusted” total assets amount includes $250,000,000 to be held in the trust account, plus $2,200,000 in cash to be held outside the trust account (after giving effect to estimated offering costs) less $23,725 of actual stockholders equity as of November 30, 2024.
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An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks described below, which we believe represent the material risks related to the offering, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks described below.
Risks Relating to Searching for and Consummating a Business Combination
If we are unable to consummate a business combination, our public stockholders may be forced to wait more than 24 months before receiving distributions from the trust account, and our rights will expire worthless.
We have 24 months from the closing of this offering in which to complete a business combination. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to such date unless we consummate a business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to convert or sell their shares to us. Only after the expiration of this full time period will public security holders be entitled to distributions from the trust account if we are unable to complete a business combination. Accordingly, investors’ funds may be unavailable to them until after such date and to liquidate your investment, public security holders may be forced to sell their public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Additionally, if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required timeframe and therefore are forced to dissolve and liquidate, the holders of our rights to receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination 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 their rights will expire worthless.
The requirement that we complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination.
We have 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete an initial business combination. Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware of this requirement. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete a business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete a business combination with any other target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the time limit referenced above.
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination.
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or don’t vote at all, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell 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 (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus. Accordingly, it is possible that we will consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. 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. For instance, 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 22% 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 22% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination instead of conducting a tender offer.
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Our initial stockholders will control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a stockholder vote.
Upon consummation of our offering, our initial stockholders will own approximately 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). None of our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares of common stock from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates could determine in the future to make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions, to the extent permitted by law, in order to reduce the number of stockholders seeking to tender their shares to us. In connection with any vote for a proposed business combination, our initial stockholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote the shares of common stock owned by them immediately before this offering as well as any shares of common stock acquired in this offering or in the aftermarket in favor of such proposed business combination. As a result, if we sought stockholder approval of a proposed transaction we could need as little as 7,142,858 of our 25,000,000 public shares (or approximately 29% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming all shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). If only a minimum number of shares are voted to reach a quorum for the meeting, we will not need any public shares to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market).
Our Board of Directors is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. It is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of a business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the consummation of the business combination. Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your voting rights under corporate law for up to 24 months. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the consummation of a business combination.
If we determine to change our acquisition criteria or guidelines, many of the disclosures contained in this prospectus would not be applicable and you would be investing in our company without any basis on which to evaluate the potential target business we may acquire.
We could seek to deviate from the acquisition criteria or guidelines disclosed in this prospectus although we have no current intention to do so. Accordingly, investors may be making an investment in our company without any basis on which to evaluate the potential target business we may acquire. Regardless of whether or not we deviate from the acquisition criteria or guidelines in connection with any proposed business combination, investors will always be given the opportunity to convert their shares or sell them to us in a tender offer in connection with any proposed business combination as described in this prospectus.
Review of any proposed business combination with a U.S. target by a U.S. government entity such as the Committee on Foreign Investment could delay or restrict our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our sponsor, our officers, all but one of our directors, and a majority of the holders of the equity interests in our sponsor are U.S. persons, and we and our sponsor are organized under U.S. state law and have principal places of business in the United States. Accordingly, in our view, neither we nor our sponsor should be deemed to have substantial ties with a non-U.S. person at the time of this offering. However, it is possible that one or more U.S. regulatory authorities could take a different view, particularly if the composition of our sponsor’s equity base or the makeup of our management team changes between now and the time of our initial business combination. If any proposed business combination becomes subject to review by a U.S. regulatory authority, such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) or pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, the review and approval process could delay our ability to consummate our initial business combination by the deadline set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and, accordingly, require us to liquidate.
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Since we have not yet selected a particular industry or target business with which to complete a business combination, we are unable to currently ascertain the merits or risks of the industry or business in which we may ultimately operate.
While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry or geographic location, we intend to search globally for target companies within the M&E industry with a primary focus on the United States, and in particular on identifying attractive targets among content studios and film production, family entertainment, animation, music, gaming, e-sports, talent management, talent-facing brands and businesses. Accordingly, there is no current basis for you to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which we may ultimately operate or the target business which we may ultimately acquire. To the extent we complete a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of those entities. If we complete a business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, we may be affected by the currently unascertainable risks of that industry. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular industry or target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a target business.
The ability of our stockholders to exercise their conversion rights or sell their shares to us in a tender offer may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
If our business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, because we will not know how many stockholders may exercise conversion rights or seek to sell their shares to us in a tender offer, we may either need to reserve part of the trust account for possible payment upon such conversion, or we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business combination. In the event that the acquisition involves the issuance of our stock as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our stock to make up for a shortfall in funds. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.
In connection with any vote to approve a business combination, we will offer each public stockholder the option to vote in favor of a proposed business combination and still seek conversion of his, her or its shares.
In connection with any vote to approve a business combination, we will offer each public stockholder (but not our initial stockholders, officers and directors) the right to have his, her or its shares of common stock converted to cash (subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus) regardless of whether such stockholder votes for or against such proposed business combination or does not vote at all. The ability to seek conversion while voting in favor of our proposed business combination may make it more likely that we will consummate a business combination.
We do not have a specified maximum conversion threshold. The absence of such a conversion threshold may make it easier for us to consummate a business combination even where a substantial number of public stockholders seek to convert their shares to cash in connection with the vote on the business combination.
We have no specified percentage threshold for conversion in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. As a result, we may be able to consummate a business combination even though a substantial number of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have converted their shares.
In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, we may require stockholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.
In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public stockholder will have the right, regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed business combination or does not vote at all, to demand that we convert his shares into a pro rata share of the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination. We may require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business combination to either (i) tender their certificates to our
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transfer agent or (ii) deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holders’ option, in each case prior to a date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials sent in connection with the proposal to approve the business combination. In order to obtain a physical stock certificate, a stockholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that stockholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares through the DWAC System, we cannot assure you of this fact. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for stockholders to deliver their shares, stockholders who wish to convert may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their conversion rights and thus may be unable to convert their shares.
If, in connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed business combination, we require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares to comply with specific requirements for conversion, such converting stockholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
If we require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares to comply with specific requirements for conversion and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public stockholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to convert their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed acquisition until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our shares of common stock may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish to, even while other stockholders that did not seek conversion may be able to sell their securities.
Because of our structure, other companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We expect to encounter intense competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe that there are numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses 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, seeking stockholder approval or engaging in a tender offer in connection with any proposed business combination may delay the consummation of such a transaction. Additionally, our outstanding warrants, as well as the rights to one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination included within our units, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards, we will not be able to complete a business combination with prospective target businesses unless their financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards.
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 in periodic reports. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents we use, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. Additionally, to the extent we furnish our stockholders with financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS, such financial statements will likely need to be audited in accordance with U.S. GAAP at the time of the consummation of the business combination. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire.
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A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for use to consummate an initial business combination.
Under the terms of our warrants, if (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our Board of Directors, and in the case of any such issuance to our initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founders Shares held by them prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our shares of common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the corresponding $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This warrant provision may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
We may issue shares of our capital stock or debt securities to complete a business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our stockholders and likely cause a change in control of our ownership.
As of the date of this prospectus, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 50,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Although we have no commitment as of the date of this offering, we may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock, or a combination of common stock and preferred stock, to complete a business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock will not reduce the per-share conversion amount in the trust account. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• may cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of 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; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our shares of common stock.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a 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; and
• 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.
If we incur indebtedness, our lenders will not have a claim on the cash in the trust account and such indebtedness will not decrease the per-share conversion amount in the trust account.
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We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if required, to complete a business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering will be sufficient to allow us to consummate a business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business, we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of the business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, or the obligation to convert into cash a significant number of shares from stockholders, we will be required to seek additional financing. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate a particular 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, if we consummate a business combination, we may require additional 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 a business combination.
If the net proceeds of this offering not being held in trust are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, we may be unable to complete a business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, only approximately $2,200,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We will also have access to certain interest earned on the funds held in the trust account for working capital purposes. We believe that, upon closing of this offering, such funds will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Accordingly, if we use all of the funds held outside of the trust account and all interest available to us, we may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close an initial business combination. In such event, we would need to borrow funds from our initial stockholders, officers or directors or their affiliates to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Our initial stockholders, officers, directors and their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount that they deem reasonable in their sole discretion for our working capital needs. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest.
We may not obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to acquire and therefore you may be relying solely on the judgment of our Board of Directors in approving a proposed business combination.
We will only be required to obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to acquire if it is an entity that is affiliated with any of our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates. In all other instances, we will have no obligation to obtain an opinion. Accordingly, investors may be relying solely on the judgment of our Board of Directors in approving a proposed business combination.
Resources could be spent researching acquisitions that are not consummated, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business.
It is anticipated 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 a decision is made not to complete a specific business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, even if an agreement is reached relating to a specific target business, we may fail to consummate the 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.
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We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services.
It is likely we will consummate a business combination with a single target business, although we have the ability to simultaneously acquire several target businesses. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, 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 developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination.
Alternatively, if we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses and such businesses 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 the 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.
Our search for an initial business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by significant current and future events, such as public health concerns, the war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, ongoing market turbulence and the status of debt and equity markets.
Public health concerns (pandemics or epidemics), terrorist attacks, natural disasters, acts of war (including the war in Ukraine), civil unrest, economic downturns or recessions and rising interest rates could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate an initial business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete an initial business combination if concerns relating to any such situations restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel or service providers, or otherwise cause the target company to be unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which current or future events impact our search for an initial business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning, for example, the severity of any public health concerns, the status of efforts to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by any current or future events continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by rising interest rates, ongoing market turbulence or other current or future events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
Since the fourth quarter of 2020, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies seeking targets for their
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initial business combination, 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 special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed. The premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity will likely need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
Furthermore, because our management team utilizes strategic advisors in addition to conventional directors and officers, we may choose to seek liability insurance coverage which extends to our strategic advisors, which could further increase our insurance costs.
Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company
Our ability to successfully effect a 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 a business combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct.
Our ability to successfully effect a business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our key personnel, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain with us for the immediate or foreseeable future. In addition, none of our officers is required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, our officers 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 employment agreements with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our officers. The unexpected loss of the services of our key personnel could have a detrimental effect on us.
The role of our key personnel after a business combination, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may serve in senior management or advisory positions following a business combination, it is likely that most, if not all, of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of
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these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge regarding the jurisdiction or industry of the target business we may seek to acquire.
We may consummate a business combination with a target business in any geographic location or industry we choose. We cannot assure you that our officers and directors will have enough experience or have sufficient knowledge relating to the jurisdiction of the target or its industry to make an informed decision regarding a business combination.
If we do not conduct an adequate due diligence investigation of a target business, we may be required to subsequently 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.
We must conduct a due diligence investigation of the target businesses we intend to acquire. Intensive due diligence is time consuming and expensive due to the operations, accounting, finance and legal professionals who must be involved in the due diligence process. Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business, this diligence may not reveal all material issues that may affect a particular target business, and factors outside the control of the target business and outside of our control may later arise. If our diligence fails to identify issues specific to a target business, industry or the environment in which the target business operates, 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 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 common stock. 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.
If we effect a business combination with a company located in a foreign jurisdiction, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we consummate a business combination with a target business in a foreign country, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’ home jurisdiction, including any of the following:
• rules and regulations or currency conversion or corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
• tariffs and trade barriers;
• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• 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;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• employment regulations;
• crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and
• deterioration of political relations with the United States.
We cannot assure you that we would be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.
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If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such company may govern some or all our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such company operates may govern some or all of the material agreements relating to its operations. We cannot assure you that the target business will be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available in this new jurisdiction. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital. Additionally, if we acquire a company located outside of the United States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under federal securities laws.
If we acquire a company operating in the M&E industry, our future operations may be subject to risks associated with this sector.
While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry or geographic location, we intend to search globally for target companies within the M&E industry with a primary focus on the United States, and in particular on identifying attractive targets among content studios and film production, family entertainment, animation, music, gaming, e-sports, talent management, talent-facing brands and businesses. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business, we cannot provide specific risks of any business combination. However, risks inherent in investments in these industries may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• adverse changes in international, national, regional or local economic, demographic and market conditions;
• competition from other companies and businesses in the M&E industry;
• the ability to develop successful new products or improve existing ones;
• changes in technology rendering our products or services obsolete following a business combination;
• the disruption or failure of our networks, systems, platform or technology that frustrate or thwart our users’ ability to access our products and services, which may cause our users, advertisers, and partners to cut back on or stop using our products and services altogether, which could harm our business;
• fluctuations in interest rates, which could adversely affect the ability of buyers and tenants of properties to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all;
• mobile malware, viruses, ransomware, hacking and phishing attacks, spamming, and improper or illegal use of our products, which could harm our business and reputation;
• litigation and other legal proceedings;
• challenges associated with perfecting, registering, maintaining, licensing, enforcing and defending our intellectual property rights;
• complexities in properly measuring the value of intangible or cutting-edge business assets, such as a celebrity’s brand recognition or the advertising potential of a streaming service;
• risks arising out of the interconnectedness of the value and goodwill of our business and brands with the marketability, popularity, and public perception of certain celebrities;
• the ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees;
• environmental risks;
• civil unrest, labor strikes, acts of God, including earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters and acts of war or terrorism, which may result in uninsured losses;
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• increasing governmental regulation; and
• failure to comply with governmental regulations resulting in the imposition of penalties, fines or restrictions on operations and remedial liabilities.
Any of the foregoing could have an adverse impact on our operations following a business combination. However, our efforts in identifying prospective target businesses will not be limited to companies in the M&E industry. Accordingly, if we acquire a target business in another industry, these risks we will be subject to risks attendant with the specific industry in which we operate or target business which we acquire, which may or may not be different than those risks listed above.
There may be tax consequences to our business combinations that may adversely affect us.
While we expect to undertake any merger or acquisition so as to minimize taxes both to the acquired business and/or asset and us, such business combination might not meet the statutory requirements of a tax-free reorganization, or the parties might not obtain the intended tax-free treatment upon a transfer of shares or assets. A non-qualifying reorganization could result in the imposition of substantial taxes.
We will likely be subject to taxes in the U.S. and in the foreign jurisdictions where we do business. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions have been and may be subject to significant change. Changes in the mix of our earnings between countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities related to changes in tax rates, changes in tax laws, including how existing tax laws are interpreted or enforced, or contemplated changes in long-standing tax principles, if finalized and adopted, could adversely impact our future effective tax rate and business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For example, long-standing international tax norms that determine each country’s jurisdiction to tax cross-border international trade are evolving as a result of a multilateral project, the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (the “BEPS Project”), that has established new principles and reporting requirements recommended by the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the “OECD”). In connection with the BEPS Project, companies are required to disclose more information to tax authorities on operations around the world, which may lead to greater audit scrutiny of profits earned in countries outside of the U.S. Many jurisdictions have already enacted legislation and adopted policies resulting from the BEPS Project. The OECD, is also addressing the challenges of the digitization of the global economy with plans to redefine jurisdictional taxation rights in market countries and establish a global minimum tax.
The SEC has issued proposed rules relating to certain activities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). Certain of the procedures that we, a potential business combination target, or others may determine to undertake in connection with such proposals may increase our costs and the time needed to complete our initial business combination and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete an initial business combination. The need for compliance with the SPAC rule proposals may cause us to liquidate the funds in the trust account or liquidate our company at an earlier time than we might otherwise choose.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating, among other items, to disclosures in business combination transactions between SPACS such as us and private operating companies; the condensed financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; the use of projections by SPACs in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; 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, including a proposed rule that would provide SPACs a safe harbor from treatment as an investment company if they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. The SPAC Rule Proposals have not yet been adopted, and may be adopted in the proposed form or in a different form that could impose additional regulatory requirements on SPACs. Certain of the procedures that we, a potential business combination target, or others may determine to undertake in connection with the SPAC Rule Proposals, or pursuant to the SEC’s views expressed in the SPAC Rule Proposals, may increase the costs and time of negotiating and completing an initial business combination, and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete an initial business combination. The need for compliance with the SPAC Rule Proposals may cause us to liquidate the funds in the trust account or liquidate our company at an earlier time than we might otherwise choose.
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The excise tax included in the U.S. 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.
Pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”), commencing in 2023, a 1% U.S. federal excise tax is imposed on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by “covered corporations” occurring on or after January 1, 2023. Because we are a Delaware corporation and our securities are trading on the NASDAQ, we are a “covered corporation” for this purpose. The excise tax is imposed on the covered 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. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. The Treasury recently issued interim guidance that redemptions in connection with a SPAC liquidation would not be subject to the excise tax under certain circumstances. In additional interim guidance issued by Treasury, IRS Announcement 2023-18 released on June 29, 2023, provides that taxpayers will not be required to report or pay the new excise tax on corporate stock repurchases before the time specified in forthcoming regulations. Treasury has publicly stated that the issuance of Proposed Regulations regarding the excise tax under the IR Act are in the final stages of the regulatory clearance process and will be released in the near term. Redemptions that occur in the same taxable year as a liquidation is completed will also be exempt from such tax. Any share redemption or other share repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a business combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent we would be subject to the excise tax in connection with an initial business combination, extension vote or otherwise in the future will depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the business combination, extension vote or otherwise, (ii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with the business combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with the business combination but issued within the same taxable year of the business combination) and (iii) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. In addition, because the excise tax would be payable by us and not by the redeeming holder, the mechanics of any required payment of the excise tax have not been determined. The foregoing could cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete our initial business combination and in our ability to complete the business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we have agreed that the per share price payable to stockholders exercising their redemption rights in connection with an initial business combination, extension vote or otherwise (including upon our liquidation) will not be reduced by payments required to be made by us under the IR Act.
Risks Relating to Potential Conflicts of Interest of our Management, Directors, and Others
Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate a business combination.
Our officers and directors will not commit their full time to our affairs. We presently expect each of our officers and directors to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target. Based on the existing relationships of our sponsor, directors and officers, their level of financial investment in us and the potential loss of such investment if no business combination is consummated, the fact that we may consummate a business combination with a target in a broad array of industries, we believe there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for their other businesses., Therefore we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
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Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for a business combination.
Our initial stockholders have waived their right to convert the Founders Shares or any other shares purchased in this offering or thereafter, or to receive distributions from the trust account with respect to the Founders Shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate a business combination. Accordingly, the shares and rights acquired prior to this offering, as well as the private warrants and any warrants purchased by our officers or directors in the aftermarket, will be worthless if we do not consummate a business combination. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination and in determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders’ best interest.
Our officers and directors or their affiliates have pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations and may in the future become affiliated with other entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Our officers and directors or their affiliates have pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations to other companies. Accordingly, they may participate in transactions and have obligations that may be in conflict or competition with our consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, a potential target business may be presented by our management team to another entity prior to its presentation to us and we may not be afforded the opportunity to engage in a transaction with such target business. Additionally, our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business, including another blank check company that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. 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 other entities prior to its presentation to us, subject to our officers’ and directors’ fiduciary duties under Delaware law. For a more detailed description of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, see the sections titled “Management — Directors and Executive Officers” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Our management 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 a 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 management will be able to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements or other appropriate arrangements 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 the company after the consummation of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Risks Relating to our Securities
If we do not file and maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, holders will only be able to exercise such warrants on a “cashless basis.”
If we do not file and maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis” provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a result, the number of shares of common stock that holders will receive upon exercise of the warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to file and maintain a current
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and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless.
An investor will only be able to exercise a warrant if the issuance of shares of common stock upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or is deemed exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants.
No warrants will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of common stock unless the shares of common stock issuable upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. If the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, the warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants may be limited and they may expire worthless if they cannot be sold.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding warrants.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The warrant agreement requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding warrants in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in trust could be reduced and the per-share redemption price received by stockholders may be less than $10.00.
Our placing of funds in trust may not protect those funds from third party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors and service providers we engage and prospective target businesses we negotiate with 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, they may not execute such agreements. Furthermore, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they may seek recourse against the trust account. A court may not uphold the validity of such agreements. Accordingly, the proceeds held in trust could be subject to claims which could take priority over those of our public stockholders. If we are unable to complete a business combination and distribute the proceeds held in trust to our public stockholders, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, an entity affiliated with Mr. Bengochea, has agreed (subject to certain exceptions described elsewhere in this prospectus) that it will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per share by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us. However, we have not independently verified whether Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, we have not asked it to reserve for such obligations and we do not believe it has any significant liquid assets. Accordingly, we believe it is unlikely that it will be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations if it is required to do so. As a result, the per-share distribution from the trust account may be less than $10.00, plus interest, due to such claims.
Additionally, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which 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 may not be able to return to our public stockholders at least $10.00.
Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will continue in existence only until 24 months from the closing of this offering. If we have not completed a business combination by such date, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the
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aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest not previously released to us but net of franchise and income taxes payable (less up to $100,000 for our liquidation 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 the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our 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 well beyond the third anniversary of the date of distribution. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that third parties will not seek to recover from our stockholders amounts owed to them by us.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which 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. Furthermore, because we intend to distribute the proceeds held in the trust account to our public stockholders promptly after expiration of the time we have to complete an initial business combination, this may be viewed or interpreted as giving preference to our public stockholders over any potential creditors with respect to access to or distributions from our assets. Furthermore, our Board may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties 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 directors may decide not to enforce Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC’s indemnification obligations, 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 $10.00 per public share and Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC 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 it to enforce such indemnification obligations. 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 $10.00 per share.
The securities in which we may invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts) or invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less, 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, although we may determine to hold such proceeds as cash rather than investing them for any reason including but not limited to interest rate fluctuations or the need for such funds in connection with an impending closing of an initial business combination. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate 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 previously released to us, net of taxes payable. Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
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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. 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.
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 $10.00 per share or which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time, which is generally approximately $10.00, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. 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.
NASDAQ may delist our securities from quotation on its exchange which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will be listed on NASDAQ, a national securities exchange, upon consummation of this offering. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we expect to meet NASDAQ’s minimum initial listing standards for the Nasdaq Global Market, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on NASDAQ in the future prior to an initial business combination. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, it is possible that NASDAQ will require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. NASDAQ will also have discretionary authority to not approve our listing if NASDAQ determines that the listing of the company to be acquired is against public policy at that time.
If NASDAQ delists our securities from trading on its exchange, or we are not listed in connection with our initial business combination, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
• a determination that our shares of common stock are “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our shares of common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our shares of common stock;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and common stock, warrants and rights will be listed on NASDAQ, our units, common stock, warrants and rights will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. If we were no longer listed on NASDAQ, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
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Our initial stockholders paid a nominal price for the Founders Shares and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our shares of common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to the investors in this offering. Our initial stockholders acquired the Founders Shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon consummation of this offering, you and the other new investors will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 98.43% or $8.75 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share $(0.14) (assuming a maximum redemption scenario), and the initial offering price of $8.89 per unit). This is because investors in this offering will be contributing approximately 99.96% of the total amount paid to us for our outstanding securities after this offering but will only own approximately 70.00% of our outstanding securities and this becomes exacerbated to the extent that public stockholders seek to convert their shares into a pro rata share of the trust proceeds. Accordingly, the per-share purchase price you will be paying substantially exceeds our per share net tangible book value.
Our initial stockholders paid an aggregate of $25,000 for the Founders Shares, or approximately $0.002 per share. As a result, our initial stockholders stand to make a substantial profit even if an initial business combination subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public stockholders, and may have an incentive to recommend such an initial business combination to our stockholders.
As a result of the low acquisition cost of our Founders Shares, our initial stockholders 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, they may have more of an economic incentive for us to enter into an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker-performing or financially unstable business, or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, than would be the case if such parties had paid the full offering price for their Founders Shares.
Potential participation in this offering by our non-managing sponsor investors could reduce the public float for our securities.
Our non-managing sponsor investors have indicated an interest to purchase up to an aggregate of approximately $[•] million of the units offered in this offering at the initial public offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). While these indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, if our non-managing sponsor investors are allocated all or a significant portion of the units in which they have indicated an interest in this offering, and they purchase such units, such purchase or purchases could reduce the available public float for our securities if such parties hold these securities long-term, which could reduce liquidity and increase the volatility of our stock price.
Since our sponsor, officers and directors and any other holder of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor investors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), and because our sponsor, officers and directors and any other holder of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor investors, directly or indirectly may profit substantially from a business combination as a result of their ownership of founder shares even under circumstances where our public shareholders would experience losses in connection with their investment, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination, including in connection with the shareholder vote in respect thereto.
In November 2024, we issued our sponsor an aggregate of 12,321,429 founder shares (up to 1,607,143 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised) for $25,000, or approximately $0.002 per share. Prior to this initial investment in us by the sponsor, we had no assets, tangible or intangible. Our sponsor holds founder shares and has committed to purchase [*] private warrants. Subject to each non-managing sponsor investor purchasing, through the sponsor, the private warrants [allocated to it] in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor investors reflecting interests in an aggregate of [*] founder shares.
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In addition, our sponsor is expected to commit to purchase an aggregate of 4,580,000 private placement units at a price of $1.00 per private warrant ($4,580,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless the time to complete our initial business combination is extended in accordance with charter, the private warrants will be worthless. Given the differential in the purchase price paid for the founder shares as compared to the initial public offering price of the public shares and the substantial number of founder shares, the founder shares may have significant value after the business combination even if our shares of common stock trade below the initial public offering price and holders of our public shares have a substantial loss on their investment. The non-managing sponsor investors will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the shares underlying the units, the rights and the warrants included in the units, they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public stockholders. However, if the non-managing sponsor investors purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the non-managing sponsor investors will potentially have different interests than our other public shareholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public stockholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares as further discussed in this prospectus. The non-managing sponsor investors will share in any appreciation of the founder shares through their membership interests in the sponsor if we successfully complete a business combination. Accordingly, non-managing sponsor investors’ interests in the founder shares owned by them indirectly through their membership interests in the sponsor may provide them with an incentive to vote any public shares they own in favor of a business combination, and make a substantial profit on such interests, even if the business combination is with a target that ultimately declines in value and is not profitable for other public stockholders.
The personal and financial interests of our sponsor, directors and officers and any holders of our founder shares or our private warrants may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination and may result in a misalignment of interests between the holders of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor investors, and our officers and directors, on the one hand, and our public shareholders, on the other. These risks may become more acute as the deadline to complete our initial business combination nears. In particular, because the founder shares were purchased at a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share, the holders of our founder shares (including any non-managing sponsor investors and certain of our directors and officers that directly or indirectly own founder shares) could make a substantial profit after our initial business combination even if our public stockholders lose money on their investment as a result of a decrease in the post-combination value of their shares of common stock (after accounting for any adjustments in connection with an exchange or other transaction contemplated by the business combination).
Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors were to be included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Our outstanding warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult to effect a business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 12,500,000 shares of common stock as part of the Public Units offered by this prospectus, along with 4,580,000 shares of common stock as part of the units which are to be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the consummation of this offering (in each case, assuming the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option). We may also issue other units to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us as described in this prospectus. To the extent we issue shares of common stock to effect a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle in the eyes of a target business. Such securities, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of common stock and reduce the value of the shares issued to complete the business combination. Accordingly, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business. Additionally, the sale, or even the possibility of sale, of the shares underlying the warrants could have an adverse effect on the market price for our securities or on our ability to obtain future financing. If and to the extent these warrants are exercised, you may experience dilution to your holdings.
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We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants (including any warrants issued to our initial stockholders, officers or directors in payment of working capital loans made to us) at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of the common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period commencing at any time after the shares underlying the warrants have become exercisable and ending on the third business day prior to proper notice of such redemption provided that on the date we give notice of redemption and during the entire period thereafter until the time we redeem the warrants, we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
Our management’s ability to require holders of our warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer shares of common stock upon their exercise of the warrants than they would have received had they been able to exercise their warrants for cash.
If we call our warrants for redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his warrant (including any private warrants) to do so on a “cashless basis.” If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of shares of common stock received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company.
If our security holders exercise their registration rights, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of common stock and the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effect a business combination.
Our initial stockholders are entitled to make a demand that we register the resale of the Founders Shares at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which their shares may be released from escrow. Additionally, the holders of the private warrants and any additional private warrants issued to our initial stockholders, officers, directors, or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, are entitled to demand that we register the resale of the private warrants we issue to them (and the underlying securities) commencing at any time after we consummate an initial business combination. The presence of these additional securities trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities. In addition, the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business, as the stockholders of the target business may be discouraged from entering into a business combination with us or will request a higher price for their securities because of the potential effect the exercise of such rights may have on the trading market for our shares of common stock.
The determination for the offering price of our units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and D. Boral Capital. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units, including the shares of common stock, warrants 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;
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• our capital structure;
• an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; and
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results to compare them to.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. For example, our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. As a result, at a given annual meeting only a minority of the board of directors may be considered for election. Since our “staggered board” may prevent our stockholders from replacing a majority of our Board of Directors at any given annual meeting, it may entrench management and discourage unsolicited stockholder proposals that may be in the best interests of stockholders. Moreover, our Board of Directors has the ability to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock. See “Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws” for additional information regarding these provisions as well as other provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals.
We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder and may therefore bring a claim in another appropriate forum. We cannot be certain that a court will decide that this provision is either applicable or enforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. 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. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
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General Risks
We have no operating history and, accordingly, you will not have any basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We have no operating results to date. Therefore, our ability to commence operations is dependent upon obtaining financing through this public offering of our securities. Since we do not have an operating history, you will have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective, which is to acquire an operating business. We have not conducted any substantive discussions and we have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective acquisition candidates. We will not generate any revenues until, at the earliest, after the consummation of a business combination.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
On November 30, 2024, we had no cash and a working capital deficit of $16,275. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete a 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, since we will be listed on a national securities exchange upon the successful consummation of this offering, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors of blank check companies such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules which would, for example, completely restrict the transferability of our securities, require us to complete a business combination within 18 months of the effective date of the initial registration statement and restrict the use of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. Because we are not subject to Rule 419, our units will be immediately tradable and we will be entitled to withdraw amounts from the funds held in the trust account prior to the completion of a business combination.
Macro-economic turbulence and instability relating to recent and ongoing global conflicts and other drivers of uncertainty may adversely affect our business, investments and results of operations and our ability to successfully consummate a business combination.
A deterioration in economic conditions and related drivers of global uncertainty and change, such as reduced business activity, high unemployment, rising interest rates, housing prices, and energy prices (including the price of gasoline), increased consumer indebtedness, lack of available credit, the rate of inflation, and consumer perceptions of the economy, as well as other factors, such as terrorist attacks, protests, looting, and other forms of civil unrest, cyber-attacks and data breaches, public health emergencies (such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other epidemics), extreme weather conditions and climate change, significant changes in the political environment, political instability, armed conflict (such as the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the emerging military conflict in Israel and Gaza) and/or public policy, including increased state, local or federal taxation, could adversely affect our financial condition, the financial condition of prospective target companies for our initial business combination, or the financial condition of the combined company even if we successfully consummate a business combination, as well as our ability to locate a commercially viable target company for our business combination in the first instance.
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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.
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.
We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make our shares of common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three year period or revenues exceeds $1.235 billion, or the market value of our shares of common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we are not required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and we are exempt from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Additionally, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares of common stock less attractive because we may rely on these provisions. If some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete a business combination.
A company that, among other things, is or holds itself out as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, trading or holding certain types of securities would be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act, as amended. Since we will invest the proceeds held in the trust account, it is possible that we could be deemed an investment company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in trust may be invested by the trustee only in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, we intend to meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act.
50
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other items, the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The SEC’s proposed rules would provide a safe harbor for companies like our company 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 company’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. The duration component of the proposed safe harbor rule would require the company to file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC 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 company’s registration statement for its initial public offering. The company would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of its registration statement for its initial public offering. 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.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be subject to certain restrictions that may make it more difficult for us to complete a business combination, including:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• restrictions on the issuance of securities.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us certain burdensome requirements, including:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy, compliance policies and procedures and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
The SEC is also proposing to amend rules and forms under both the Investment Advisers Act of and the Investment Company Act of 1940 to require registered investment advisers, certain advisers exempt from registration, registered investment companies, and business development companies, to provide additional information regarding their environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investment practices. The proposed amendments, if passed, may impose additional disclosure requirements on the company if we are deemed to be an investment company.
Compliance with these additional regulatory burdens and proposed amendments would require additional expense for which we have not allotted.
Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require substantial financial and management resources and may increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls and may require that we have such system of internal controls audited beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny, civil or criminal penalties and/or stockholder litigation. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports could harm our business. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our independent registered public accounting firm report on management’s evaluation of our system of internal controls. 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. Furthermore, any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation of adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
51
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in this prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’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 “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “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 complete our initial business combination;
• 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 and other benefits;
• our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete a business combination;
• our pool of prospective target businesses;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;
• potential changes in control of us if we acquire one or more target businesses for stock;
• our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
• the lack of a market for our securities;
• the impact on our business prospects of recently announced or proposed changes to rules or regulations impacting special purpose acquisition companies;
• the impact on our business prospects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing market turbulence, rising interest rates, or geopolitical concerns and government instability;
• our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act or a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K;
• our use of proceeds not held in the trust account; or
• our financial performance following this offering or following our initial business combination.
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.
52
We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants ($10.00 for each unit sold in this offering will be deposited into the trust account), will be as set forth in the following table:
|
Without |
Over-Allotment |
|||||||
|
Gross proceeds |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) |
$ |
250,000,000 |
|
$ |
287,500,000 |
|
||
|
Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement |
|
4,580,000 |
|
|
4,805,000 |
|
||
|
Total gross proceeds |
$ |
254,580,000 |
|
$ |
292,305,000 |
|
||
|
Estimated offering expenses |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Underwriting commissions (% of gross proceeds from units offered to public) |
$ |
1,500,000 |
|
$ |
1,725,000 |
|
||
|
Legal fees and expenses |
|
425,000 |
|
|
425,000 |
|
||
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
130,000 |
|
|
130,000 |
|
||
|
SEC/FINRA expenses |
|
90,000 |
|
|
90,000 |
|
||
|
NASDAQ listing and filing fees (including deferred amount)(*) |
|
85,000 |
|
|
85,000 |
|
||
|
Miscellaneous expenses |
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) |
$ |
880,000 |
|
$ |
880,000 |
|
||
|
Proceeds after estimated offering expenses |
$ |
252,200,000 |
|
$ |
289,700,000 |
|
||
|
Held in trust account |
$ |
250,000,000 |
|
$ |
287,500,000 |
|
||
|
% of public offering size |
|
100 |
% |
|
100 |
% |
||
|
Not held in trust account |
$ |
2,200,000 |
|
$ |
2,200,000 |
|
||
The following table shows the use of the approximately $2,200,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account(2)
|
Amount |
% of Total |
|||||
|
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination |
$ |
350,000 |
15.9 |
% |
||
|
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations |
|
100,000 |
4.5 |
% |
||
|
Payment for management support, administrative, office space, and other services, including payment to CEO and for prospective consultants (limited to $50,000/month)(3) |
|
1,200,000 |
54.5 |
% |
||
|
Working capital and other expenses (including D&O insurance)(4) |
|
550,000 |
25.1 |
% |
||
|
Total |
$ |
2,200,000 |
100.00 |
% |
||
____________
(1) Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination.
(2) These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will, if they are invested at all, only 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. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $8,125,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 3.25% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount.
53
(3) Represents payment of a total $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business.
(4) This amount includes an approximate amount of annualized director and officer liability insurance premiums we anticipate paying upon the completion of this offering and until we complete a business combination. Unused funds allotted to other categories will go to this expense category which will include any miscellaneous expenses that may arise.
Our Sponsor has committed that it and/or its designees will purchase the private warrants (for an aggregate purchase price of $4,580,000) from us on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private warrants on a pro rata basis (up to a maximum of 225,000 private warrants at a price of $1.00 per private warrant) in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.
In connection with this offering we expect to raise $250,000,000, or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, and $4,580,000, or $4,805,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full through the sale of the private warrants. We shall deposit ($10.00 for each unit sold in this offering will be placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, New York, New York, acting as trustee. The funds held in trust will be held as cash or cash items (including demand deposit accounts) or invested only in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, so that we are not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income or other tax obligations as described in this prospectus, the proceeds will not be released from the trust account until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. The proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete a business combination. Any amounts not paid as consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
We will pay of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. Regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the net proceeds from this offering available to us out of trust for our working capital requirements in searching for a business combination will be approximately $2,200,000. We intend to use the proceeds for expenses such as paying for due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates in connection with activities on our behalf as described above, and for directors and officers liability insurance. The allocation of the net proceeds available to us outside of the trust account represents our best estimate of the intended uses of these funds. In the event that our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, we may reallocate some of such proceeds within the above-described categories.
We may use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business and to pay our expenses relating thereto. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect a business combination, the proceeds held in the trust account which are not used to consummate a business combination will be disbursed to the combined company and will, along with any other net proceeds not expended, be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products.
54
To the extent we are unable to consummate a business combination, we will pay the costs of liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, we may use up to $100,000 of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account for our liquidation expenses.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the offering. As of November 30, 2024, we had not borrowed any amounts (of up to $300,000 available to us). Such funds may be used to pay a portion of the expenses of this offering referenced in the line items above for SEC registration fee, FINRA filing fee, any non-refundable portion of the NASDAQ listing fee not covered by D. Boral Capital, a portion of the legal and audit fees and other offering expenses. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and repayable upon the earlier of (a) the date on which the SPAC consummates its initial business combination or, at the holder’s discretion, if there are excess proceeds, or (b) the date on which the Company concludes the initial public offering of its securities.
We believe that, upon consummation of this offering, the approximate $2,200,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for the next 24 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. However, if necessary, in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial stockholders, officers, directors and their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, on a non-interest bearing basis, 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 holder’s discretion, on the date on which the Company determines conducts the initial public offering of its securities. The warrants would be identical to the private warrants. 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. These loans would be repaid at completion of the initial business combination.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account (including interest earned on his, her or its portion of the trust account to the extent not previously released to us) only in the event of (i) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period, (ii) if that public stockholder converts such shares, or sells such shares to us in a tender offer, in connection with a business combination which we consummate or (iii) we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect our public stockholders’ ability to convert or sell their shares to us as described herein or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, whether proposed by our initial stockholders, executive officers, directors or any other person. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
55
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time. It is the present intention of our Board of Directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our Board of Directors does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future. 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 pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a stock dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase units in this offering).
56
The difference between the public offering price per share, assuming no value is attributed to the rights or warrants included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and the private warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private warrants. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of shares of common stock which may be converted into cash or sold in a tender offer), by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
At November 30, 2024, our net tangible book deficit was $8,725, 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 0.125 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 3,125,000 shares, and the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $8.89. After giving effect to the sale of 25,000,000 shares of common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the sale of the private warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions, estimated expenses of this offering and proceeds held in the trust account subject to redemption/tender, our pro forma net tangible book value at November 30, 2024 would have been $2,004,525 or $0.14 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the approximately 25,000,000 shares of common stock that may be converted to cash and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) of $0.14 per share (assuming maximum redemption scenario) to our initial stockholders and an immediate dilution of $8.75 per share or 98.43% to our public stockholders not exercising their conversion rights. The decrease attributable to public shares subject to conversion is included in the calculation below at $10.00 per share, as all public stockholders have the right to convert. The dilution to new investors if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full would be an immediate dilution of $8.75 per share or 98.43%.
The following table illustrates the dilution to the new investors on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the rights or warrants included in the units and the private warrants:
|
As of November 30, 2024 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
No exercise of over-allotment option |
No |
25% of |
50% of |
75% of |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
|||||
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|||||
|
Increase attributable to public stockholders |
|
6.49 |
|
|
5.81 |
|
|
4.82 |
|
|
3.21 |
|
|
0.14 |
|
|||||
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
|
6.49 |
|
|
5.81 |
|
|
4.82 |
|
|
3.21 |
|
|
0.14 |
|
|||||
|
Dilution to public stockholders |
$ |
2.40 |
|
|
3.08 |
|
|
4.07 |
|
|
5.68 |
|
|
8.75 |
|
|||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
|
26.99 |
% |
|
34.64 |
% |
|
45.78 |
% |
|
63.89 |
% |
|
98.43 |
% |
|||||
|
Full exercise of over-allotment option |
No |
25% of |
50% of |
75% of |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
$ |
8.89 |
|
|||||
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|||||
|
Increase attributable to public stockholders |
|
6.49 |
|
|
5.81 |
|
|
4.82 |
|
|
3.21 |
|
|
0.14 |
|
|||||
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
|
6.49 |
|
|
5.81 |
|
|
4.82 |
|
|
3.21 |
|
|
0.14 |
|
|||||
|
Dilution to public stockholders |
$ |
2.40 |
|
|
3.08 |
|
|
4.07 |
|
|
5.68 |
|
|
8.75 |
|
|||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
|
26.99 |
% |
|
34.64 |
% |
|
45.78 |
% |
|
63.89 |
% |
|
98.43 |
% |
|||||
57
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $250,000,000 because holders of our public shares may exercise their redemption rights 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 business days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or shareholders meeting, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable)), divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our existing stockholders and the public stockholders:
|
|
|
Average |
|||||||||||||
|
Number |
Purchased |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
|||||||||||
|
Initial stockholders |
10,714,286 |
(1) |
27.59 |
% |
$ |
25,000 |
0.01 |
% |
$ |
0.002 |
|||||
|
Public stockholders |
28,125,000 |
(2) |
72.41 |
% |
$ |
250,000,000 |
99.99 |
% |
$ |
8.89 |
|||||
|
Total |
38,839,286 |
|
100.00 |
% |
$ |
250,025,000 |
100.00 |
% |
|
||||||
____________
(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 1,607,143 Founders Shares have been forfeited as a result thereof.
(2) Includes the issuance of an additional 3,125,000 shares underlying the rights contained in the public shareholders
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
|
As of November 30, 2024 |
||||||||||||||||
|
No exercise of over-allotment option |
No |
25% of |
50% of |
75% of |
Maximum |
|||||||||||
|
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
$ |
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
|||||
|
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement units |
|
252,200,000 |
|
252,200,000 |
|
252,200,000 |
|
252,200,000 |
|
252,200,000 |
|
|||||
|
Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
|||||
|
Less: Over-allotment liability |
|
(219,200 |
) |
(219,200 |
) |
(219,200 |
) |
(219,200 |
) |
(219,200 |
) |
|||||
|
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to possible redemption |
|
— |
|
(62,500,000 |
) |
(125,000,000 |
) |
(187,500,000 |
) |
(250,000,000 |
) |
|||||
|
$ |
252,004,525 |
|
189,504,525 |
|
127,004,525 |
|
64,504,525 |
|
2,004,525 |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
shares outstanding prior to this offering |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
|||||
|
shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
|
(1,607,143 |
) |
(1,607,143 |
) |
(1,607,143 |
) |
(1,607,143 |
) |
(1,607,143 |
) |
|||||
|
shares included in the units offered |
|
25,000,000 |
|
25,000,000 |
|
25,000,000 |
|
25,000,000 |
|
25,000,000 |
|
|||||
|
Less: shares subject to possible redemption |
|
— |
|
(6,250,000 |
) |
(12,500,000 |
) |
(18,750,000 |
) |
(25,000,000 |
) |
|||||
|
shares underlying public rights |
|
3,125,000 |
|
3,125,000 |
|
3,125,000 |
|
3,125,000 |
|
3,125,000 |
|
|||||
|
|
38,839,286 |
|
32,589,286 |
|
26,339,286 |
|
20,089,286 |
|
13,839,286 |
|
||||||
58
|
Full exercise of over-allotment option |
No |
25% of |
50% of |
75% of |
Maximum |
||||||||||
|
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
$ |
8,725 |
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
8,725 |
|
|||||
|
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private warrants(1) |
|
289,700,000 |
289,700,000 |
|
289,700,000 |
|
289,700,000 |
|
289,700,000 |
|
|||||
|
Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering |
|
15,000 |
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
15,000 |
|
|||||
|
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to possible redemption |
|
— |
(71,875,000 |
) |
(143,750,000 |
) |
(215,625,000 |
) |
(287,500,000 |
) |
|||||
|
$ |
289,723,725 |
217,848,725 |
|
145,973,725 |
|
74,098,725 |
|
2,223,725 |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
shares outstanding prior to this offering(3) |
|
12,321,429 |
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
12,321,429 |
|
|||||
|
shares included in the units offered |
|
28,750,000 |
28,750,000 |
|
28,750,000 |
|
28,750,000 |
|
28,750,000 |
|
|||||
|
Less: shares subject to possible redemption(2) |
|
— |
(7,187,500 |
) |
(14,375,000 |
) |
(21,562,500 |
) |
(28,750,000 |
) |
|||||
|
shares underlying public rights |
|
3,593,750 |
3,593,750 |
|
3,593,750 |
|
3,593,750 |
|
3,593,750 |
|
|||||
|
|
44,665,179 |
37,477,679 |
|
30,290,179 |
|
23,102,679 |
|
15,915,179 |
|
||||||
____________
(1) Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses to be capitalized of $880,000 (not including approximately $550,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums to be paid upon closing of this offering, which amount is not an offering expense to be capitalized) and underwriting commissions of $1,500,000. See “Use of Proceeds.”
(2) If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers or their affiliates may purchase shares or public rights in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of shares of common stock subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”
(3) Assumes that 1,607,143 founder shares are surrendered to us for no consideration.
59
The following table sets forth our capitalization at November 30, 2024 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units and the private warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
|
November 30, 2024 |
|||||||
|
Actual |
As Adjusted(1) |
||||||
|
Promissory note – related party |
$ |
15,000 |
|
— |
|
||
|
Deferred underwriting commissions |
|
— |
|
— |
|
||
|
Over-allotment liability |
|
— |
|
219,200 |
|
||
|
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, –0– and 25,000,000 shares which are subject to possible conversion/tender |
|
— |
|
250,000,000 |
|
||
|
Stockholders’ deficit: |
|
|
|
||||
|
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
|
— |
|
— |
|
||
|
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 12,321,429 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 10,714,286 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 1,607,143 shares subject to possible conversion/tender), as adjusted(2) |
|
1,232 |
|
1,071 |
|
||
|
Subscription receivable |
|
(25,000 |
) |
— |
|
||
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
23,768 |
|
2,004,729 |
|
||
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
(1,275 |
) |
(1,275 |
) |
||
|
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity: |
|
(1,275 |
) |
2,004,525 |
|
||
|
Total capitalization |
$ |
13,725 |
|
252,223,725 |
|
||
____________
(1) Includes the $4,580,000 we will receive from the sale of the private warrants.
(2) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 1,607,143 Founders Shares have been forfeited as a result thereof.
60
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were formed on November 26, 2024 for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more target businesses. While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry or geographic location, we intend to search globally for target companies within the M&E industry with a primary focus on the United States, and in particular on identifying attractive targets among content studios and film production, family entertainment, animation, music, gaming, e-sports, talent management, talent-facing brands and businesses, and more. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting a business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of our stockholders;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our shares of common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant 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; and
• our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding.
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our entire activity since inception has been to prepare for our proposed fundraising through an offering of our equity securities.
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we have elected to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied, as of November 30, 2024, through an advance from our sponsor in an aggregate amount of $15,000. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $880,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $1,500,000 (or up to $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (ii) the sale of the private warrants for a purchase price of $4,580,000 (or $4,805,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be $252,200,000 (or $289,700,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The remaining $2,200,000 will not be held in trust.
We may use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business and to pay our expenses relating thereto. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect a business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account
61
as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders’ fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our business combination if the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.
We believe that, upon consummation of this offering, the approximate $2,200,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account, together with the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account available to us for working capital needs, will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 18 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. Over this time period, we will be using these funds for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination. We anticipate that we will incur approximately:
• $350,000 of expenses for legal, accounting due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination;
• $100,000 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our regulatory reporting obligations;
• $1,200,000 ($50,000/month, limited to 24 months) to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business; and
• $550,000 for working capital and other expenses including directors and officers insurance premiums
In particular, we and our sponsor are considering whether to engage a Chief Legal Officer or other in-house counsel utilizing a portion of our working capital budget and/or budget for legal and other expenses in order to, among other things, assist with our compliance with our ongoing reporting obligations, negotiations with prospective targets for our initial business combination, and preparation of draft filings and agreements in anticipation of our initial business combination.
If our estimates of the above costs are less than the actual costs, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. We do not have a maximum debt leverage ratio or a policy with respect to how much debt we may incur. The amount of debt we will be willing to incur will depend on the facts and circumstances of the proposed business combination and market conditions at the time of the potential business combination. At this time, we are not party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising additional funds through the sale of our securities or the incurrence of debt. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. In the current economic environment, it has become especially difficult to obtain acquisition financing. Additionally, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Related Party Transactions
Our sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, has committed it will purchase 4,580,000 private warrants at $1.00 per private warrant (for a total purchase price of $4,580,000) from us. This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private warrants on a pro rata basis (up to a maximum of 225,000 private warrants at a price of $1.00 per private warrant) in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $1.00 per warrant sold to the public in this offering, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
62
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds on a non-interest bearing basis as may be required. If we consummate 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.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2025. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors 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. Target businesses we may consider for a 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 expense 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 auditors to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404. The independent auditors 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, including amounts in the trust account, will, if they are invested at all, only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. 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 the date of this prospectus, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
63
General
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us.
Our efforts to identify a prospective initial business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team’s established global relationships and operating experience particularly in media and entertainment. As such, we intend to search globally for target companies with a focus on the media & entertainment (“M&E”) industry, with a focus on music, animation, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and more. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. None of our officers, directors, promoters or other affiliates has engaged in any substantive discussions on our behalf with representatives of other companies regarding the possibility of a potential business combination with us.
Overview
The members of our management team, including Jose A. Bengochea, our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), and Chairman, and William Caragol, our Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), as well as our strategic advisors, have extensive experience with special purpose acquisition companies and consummating business combinations.
Mr. Bengochea, our CEO founded Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (NASDAQ: “IROH” and referred to herein as “Iron Horse I”), a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) formed for substantially similar purposes as our Company. Mr. Caragol, our CFO, served as both CFO and COO of Iron Horse I, and its initial public offering (“IPO”) was consummated on December 29, 2023. In September, 2024, Iron Horse I entered into a definitive Business Combination Agreement with Zhong Guo Liang Tou Group Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“CFI”), and Rosy Sea Holdings Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“Seller”) and the owner of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of CFI, for an approximate valuation of $523 million. Iron Horse I then filed its S4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in December, 2024.
Iron Horse I was founded on the premise that there were growing global opportunities in the M&E industry, as well as in the tangential consumer products industry with close ties to M&E that could unlock additional value. We believe that these correlations have become more apparent since the Iron Horse I IPO. For instance, global M&E industry revenue grew to $2.8 trillion in 2023 and is expected to reach $3.4 trillion by 2028 according to a 2024 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. A clear driver of change in this space has been the advent of AI and proliferation of AI-based technologies as the industries’ pandemic-related woes have largely been erased, allowing for increase in entertainment bundling on entertainment streaming, gaming and virtual experiences, as well as a growing revival of real-life M&E experiences.
As a result, our management team believes a number of strong and growing M&E businesses are now in a position to benefit from capital and industry expertise to achieve their full growth potential and harness the opportunities unlocked by these recent changes.
Our Sponsor
Our sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company, which was formed to invest in us. Although our sponsor is permitted to undertake any activities permitted under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and other applicable law, our sponsor’s business is focused on investing in our company. The managing member of the sponsor is Mr. Bengochea, our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bengochea controls the management of our sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by our sponsor. Of the 4,580,000 private warrants, [*] warrants will be purchased by the sponsor in the private placement, and the non-managing sponsor investors have been allocated through their membership interests in the sponsor [*] private warrants, or *% of the private warrants, with our officers and directors owning the remainder.
64
See “Summary — The Offering — Private placement units.”
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our sponsor and its affiliates from us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and the securities issued and to be issued by us to our sponsor or its affiliates:
|
Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be Received |
|
||
|
Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC |
$50,000 per month, commencing on the first date on which our securities are listed on the Nasdaq |
An aggregate of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. |
||
|
12,321,429(1) shares of common stock |
$25,000 |
|||
|
[4,580,000](2) Private warrants to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering(1)(2) |
$4,580,000 |
|||
|
Up to $300,000 |
Repayment of loans made to us to cover offering related and organizational expenses |
|||
|
Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination |
Expenses incurred in connection with identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination |
____________
(1) Assumes the full forfeiture of 1,607,143 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
[(2) The sponsor non-managing members have expressed an interest to purchase sponsor non-managing membership interests reflecting interests in an aggregate of [*] of the 350,000 private warrants to be purchased by our sponsor (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised), at a price of $1.00 per interest ( $4,580,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of the 4,580,000 private warrants, [*] units will be purchase by the sponsor, of which the non-managing sponsor investors shall be allocated through their membership interests in the sponsor, [*] private warrants, which would result in them owning *% of the private warrants, with our officers and directors owning the remainder.]
The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares, private shares and private placement units will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account.
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public stockholders will incur immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the private warrants. See the sections titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Securities — The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline.” and “Dilution.”
65
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor and other initial stockholders are likely to make a substantial profit on their investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our shares of common stock to decline materially. The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:
|
Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price |
||||||||||||
|
Number |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
|||||||||||
|
Initial Stockholders(1) |
10,714,286 |
30 |
% |
$ |
25,000 |
0.01 |
% |
$ |
0.002 |
|||||
|
Public Stockholders |
25,000,000 |
70 |
% |
|
250,000,000 |
99.99 |
% |
$ |
10.00 |
|||||
|
35,714,286 |
100.0 |
% |
$ |
250,025,000 |
100.00 |
% |
|
|||||||
____________
(1) Assumes the full forfeiture of 1,607,143 founder shares and no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Business Strategy
Our team has demonstrated an extensive global track record of successful acquisitions, value creation, and value enhancement, both in and outside the M&E industry, most recently demonstrated by our previous Management Team’s previous SPAC Iron Horse I.
We believe our team’s track record encompasses successful experiences through negotiating deals across numerous industries, working directly with operators and navigating companies through acquisition transactions (as both acquiror and acquiree), expanding product ranges for existing businesses, and providing strategic guidance to develop revenue and commercial opportunities.
Management Team
Our management team has a long history of value creation in the private and public markets, with a strong track record of creating value for stockholders including through acquiring and operating successful businesses within our target sectors. Several members of our team have unique networks and relationships and extensive experience sourcing and executing transactions that will enhance our ability to identify, negotiate and complete a successful business combination and accelerate the growth trajectory and profitability of the acquired business post-business combination.
We believe that we are well positioned to identify attractive acquisition opportunities, in particular because our team expects to utilize their access to industry contacts and proprietary deal flow to generate business combination opportunities. We believe that our team’s networks in particular will broaden our access to potential transaction opportunities outside typical competitive deal sourcing intermediaries. Our team is well-connected in our target sectors and, as such, we have the opportunity to be potential targets’ preferred partner for opportunities that they might think are appropriate for a SPAC acquisition, beginning with members of the Iron Horse I team returning with their experience in SPAC deals and in public markets.
Jose Antonio Bengochea is our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Bengochea has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Iron Horse I since November 2021, and has served as the managing member of Bengochea SPAC Sponsor I LLC, the sponsor of Iron Horse I since November 2021. Mr. Bengochea is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bengochea Capital LLC (“Bengochea Capital”), an investment firm founded in 2020 to pursue frontier asset classes and, through Mr. Bengochea’s network of connections to various M&E industry executives and celebrities, to examine global opportunities in media and entertainment. Bengochea Capital has been a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the 2023 Grammy Awards; is currently a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards; has been present at the Cannes Film Festival, among other prestigious events; and has access to several animation, family, and IP potential deal-flow, with a growing number of business touchpoints across Asia. Prior to founding Bengochea Capital, Mr. Bengochea was a part of Sony’s Global Business Development team in Los Angeles and, prior to that, served as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Jenner & Block in New York City. Mr. Bengochea holds an A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard University, where he designed his own degree, entitled Comparative Imperial History, and graduated with a secondary specialization in Archaeology. Mr. Bengochea also holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
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William Caragol is our Chief Financial Officer and a director of the Company. Mr. Caragol has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Iron Horse I since December 2023. Mr. Caragol has over thirty years of experience working with growth stage companies. In 2018, he founded and is the Managing Director of Quidem LLC, a corporate strategic and financial advisory firm. Since July 2021 he has been the Chief Financial Officer of Mainz Biomed N.V. (NASDAQ: MYNZ), a molecular genetics diagnostic company specializing in the early detection of cancer. Since 2015, Mr. Caragol has been Chairman of the Board of Thermomedics, Inc., a privately held medical diagnostic equipment company. Since July 2021, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Worksport Ltd. (NASDAQ: WKSP), a growth stage technology company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. Since July 2023, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Janover, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNVR), a PrB2B fintech marketplace company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Caragol served on the Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Audit Committee of Greenbox POS (NASDAQ: GBOX) a financial technology company leveraging proprietary blockchain security to build customized payment solutions. Mr. Caragol earned a B.S. in business administration and accounting from Washington & Lee University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Management is joined by three new members to serve on the board of directors, including Tarron Hecox, Melissa Escobar, and Dr. Constantino Mendieta, while all three previous Iron Horse I independent directors are returning to serve as Strategic Advisors.
Tarron Hecox will serve as our lead independent director of the Company. Mr. Hecox has ample public markets and operational experience. Since 2019, he has held various commercial roles at AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a Fortune 500 company. Previously, Mr. Hecox worked with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, William Blair & Company, and Parnassus Investments, and he also formerly co-founded Spartan Capital L.L.C. in 2017, a private fund formed to pursue technology opportunities. Mr. Hecox is also well versed in SPACs and entertainment through the private fund he co-founded in 2014, Limitless Strategies, LLC, which focuses on creating value through public and private investments in media, entertainment, and AI. Mr. Hecox received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2016; an undergraduate degree with highest distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied economics, finance, and accounting; a masters from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and has held a CPA designation.
Ms. Melissa de Assis Escobar will serve as an independent director of the Company. Ms. Escobar is an especially prominent global figure in entertainment, having been recognized as a pioneer in the development of Hispanic content and global talent. She co-founded Latin World Entertainment alongside actress Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer in 1994, and together leads Latin World Entertainment’s growth into a multicultural entertainment leader specializing in series, documentaries, films, and brand marketing, with an audience of over 900 million global followers through its network. Under Ms. Escobar’s leadership, Latin World Entertainment has won critical acclaim, having produced works such as Griselda for Netflix and Maradona: Sueño Bendito for Amazon Prime. In all, she has over 30 years of entertainment experience, having worked with top-tier companies such as Telemundo, Univision, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube/Google, Disney Buenavista, ABC and HBO Latino. Her team has marketed over 1,000 major Hollywood studio films to Hispanics, and promoted premier Spanish-language music tours for the largest live entertainment companies in the USA.
Dr. Constantino Mendieta will serve as an independent director of the Company. Dr. Mendieta is renown surgeon, having appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the founder Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, a family office focusing in part on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. Dr. Mendieta is an avid global technology and entertainment investor as well as a leading, Board Certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Dr. Mendieta founded the 4Beauty Aesthetic Institute in 2002 and serves as [PLEASE ADD]. Dr. Mendieta has appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the Consumer Research Council in America has named Dr. Mendieta one of America’s Top Surgeons five years in a row. In 2018, Dr. Mendieta also founded his family office, Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, which, in part, focuses on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. He is also the doctor to several high-profile musicians, models, and celebrities. Dr. Mendieta holds a B.S. in Psychology from Creighton University, MD from Creighton University. Dr. Mendieta has Fellowship of Plastic Surgery from the Royal College Of Surgeon, Edinburgh, Scotland, performed plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Fellowship in Aesthetic Surgery and Clinical Fellow from Harvard Medical School.
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In addition, three previous independent directors from Iron Horse I are returning as Strategic Advisors.
Ken Hertz will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company, and has been serving since December 2023 as an Iron Horse I independent director and Chairman of Iron Horse I’s Executive Committee. Mr. Hertz is currently a director for JUST GOODS and has served as a Senior Partner in the Los Angeles law firm of Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk LLP since 2007. Mr. Hertz and his partners specialize in representing talent, senior executives, entrepreneurs, agencies, and brands in entertainment, fashion, sports, media, and technology industries. Prior to forming the firm, Mr. Hertz had been a partner in Hansen Jacobson & Teller, since 1989. Before that, he was global head of music — business and legal affairs — for The Walt Disney Company. He is also a principal in memBrain — an entertainment marketing and strategy consulting firm that advises a number of C-Suite executives on their company’s entertainment related marketing strategies. memBrain has worked with Intel, McDonald’s, Hasbro, MillerCoors, Li & Fung and Logitech. Mr. Hertz has also been an active early-stage venture investor and advisor since 1997 and is a frequent speaker and commentator on the subjects of entertainment, marketing and convergence. He is often quoted in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal, has appeared on CNBC’s monthly newsmagazine “Business Nation,” has been an instructor at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, Marshall School of Business, Stanford Business School, and an adjunct professor of law at USC. He graduated UCLA with a J.D. in 1984 and U.C. Berkeley in 1981 with a B.S.
Brian Turner will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Turner has been serving since December 2023 as the Chairman of the board of directors of Iron Horse I and was formerly Chair of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space. He has served on numerous public and private companies boards of directors as well. Mr. Turner was the Chief Financial Officer of Coinstar Inc. from 2003 until June 2009. Prior to Coinstar, from 2001 to 2003, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Real Networks, Inc., a digital media and technology company. Prior to Real Networks, from 1999 to 2001, Mr. Turner was employed by Bsquare Corp., a software company, where he initially served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary, before being promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Turner was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration of Radisys Corp., an embedded software company. Mr. Turner’s experience also includes 13 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where he held several positions including Director of Corporate Finance. Mr. Turner was formerly Chairman of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space, and is now Chair of the Audit Committee for MVIS. Mr. Turner has also been a director for several private companies. Mr. Turner holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington.
Scott Morris, will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Morris was an Iron Horse I independent director and has been Chairman of Avista (NYSE: AVA) since 2008. Mr. Morris started his career at AVA in 1981. From 2008 to 2019, he served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and served as Avista’s President from 2008 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Morris was also the company’s Chief Operating Officer. His experiences include management positions in multiple industries, including construction, customer service, and utilities. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University and received his master’s degree from Gonzaga University in organizational leadership. He also attended the Stanford Business School Financial Management Program and the Kidder Peabody School of Financial Management. Mr. Morris serves on the boards of McKinstry Inc. and California Water Service. He is also on the Board of Trustees of Gonzaga University. He has served on a number of Spokane nonprofit and economic development Boards.
The past performance of our management team is not a guarantee that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. Our management team may have had acquisitions or investments that were not successful. You should not rely on the historical record of our management’s performance as indicative of our future performance.
Commitment to Diversity
As a first generation American and native Spanish speaker, Mr. Bengochea is a passionate advocate of greater diversity in entertainment, media, and in the public markets, and is honored to serve once again as one of the only Hispanic executives on the public markets. Ms. Escobar is also proud to serve as one of the only Hispanic directors on the public markets, herself being originally from Colombia and having dedicated much of her career to promoting Hispanic talent, such as Sofia Vergara, and empowering Hispanic voices through entertainment. Dr. Mendieta, one of our Independent Directors, is also a first-generation Hispanic immigrant.
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Acquisition Strategy
Our team intends to leverage its skills, expertise and networks within the team’s international hubs, particularly within the media, entertainment, and AI industries, to identify attractive target companies and provide guidance on the benefits of being a publicly-traded entity, including broader access to capital, increased liquidity for potential acquisitions, expanded branding opportunities in the marketplace, reputational and consumer confidence gains, and on the process of transitioning from a private company to a public registrant. We also expect to be able to source potential targets from our team’s contacts within private equity, with celebrities, with M&E investors, and with various industry leaders. Upon completion of this offering, each of our team members will communicate our acquisition criteria to their respective networks and immediately begin screening opportunities.
Consistent with this strategy, we have identified parameters and criteria that we think are important and relevant in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to apply these parameters in evaluating prospects, although we may ultimately decide to execute our initial business combination with a company that may not match all of our initial parameters:
• Growth Prospects: We intend to seek companies with high growth trajectories that are driven by competitive advantages that can be accelerated or magnified through a partnership with us and access to the public markets.
• Earnings Potential: We intend to acquire one or more businesses that have multiple and diverse potential drivers of revenue and earnings growth and that have the potential to generate strong and stable free cash flow.
• M&E Focus: We intend to prioritize entities within our team’s core spheres of expertise and from among our team’s networks, such as family entertainment, animation, gaming, music, and businesses which we believe have benefited from the global pandemic and subsequent evolution of media and AI.
• Public Advantages: We intend to seek target companies that are public market ready and whose leadership teams have the vision to take advantage of and appreciate the benefits of becoming a publicly-traded entity.
• Evolving Circumstance: We intend to seek companies which are capitalizing on industry shifts and trends created by various factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the migration toward new global consumption patterns, and the proliferation of AI-based technologies.
• Valuations: We consider ourselves to be rigorous, disciplined and valuation-centric investors, with a keen understanding of market value and successful track record. We intend to seek companies with a respectable market share and growth potential in the segments in which they operate.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines, as well as other considerations, factors and criteria deemed relevant by our management in effecting our initial business combination consistent with our business objectives. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us.
We are not prohibited from pursuing a business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event that we seek to complete a business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that our business combination is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view. In the event that we seek such a business combination, the independent members of our Board of Directors would be required to approve the transaction.
Sources of Target Businesses
While we have not yet selected a target business with which to consummate our initial business combination, we believe based on our management’s business knowledge and past experience that there are numerous potential candidates. We expect that our principal means of identifying potential target businesses will be through the extensive contacts and
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relationships of our initial stockholders, officers and directors. While our officers and directors are not required to commit any specific amount of time in identifying or performing due diligence on potential target businesses, our officers and directors believe that the relationships they have developed over their careers will generate a number of potential business combination opportunities that will warrant further investigation. We also anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses they think we may be interested in on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting.
Our officers and directors must present to us all target business opportunities that have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (net of taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction, with such fee potentially coming from the $50,000 per month fee we have allocated for various management services as discussed throughout this prospectus.
Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or our or their respective affiliates, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
We have no present intention to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or initial stockholders. However, we are not restricted from entering into any such transactions and may do so if (i) such transaction is approved by a majority of our disinterested independent directors and (ii) we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination
Subject to our management team’s fiduciary obligations and the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (net of taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, and that we must acquire a controlling interest in the target business, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective target business. We have not established any specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors, including one or more of the following:
• financial condition and results of operation;
• growth potential;
• brand recognition and potential;
• experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;
• capital requirements;
• competitive position;
• barriers to entry;
• stage of development of the products, processes or services;
• existing distribution and potential for expansion;
• degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services;
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• proprietary aspects of our tangible and intangible assets and the extent of intellectual property or other protections for our products, formulas, brands or media;
• impact of regulation on the business;
• regulatory environment of the industry;
• costs associated with effecting the business combination;
• industry leadership, sustainability of market share and attractiveness of industries in which a target business participates; and
• macro competitive dynamics in the industry within which the company competes.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations deemed relevant by our management in effecting a business combination consistent with our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.
The time and costs required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete the business combination cannot presently be ascertained with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target Business
NASDAQ listing rules require that the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (net of taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on NASDAQ for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% fair market value test.
We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or a newly formed subsidiary or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we do not intend to complete such business combination unless 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 could 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 trust account balance test.
The fair market value of the target will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents used by us in connection with any proposed transaction will provide public stockholders with our analysis of the fair market value of the target business, as well as the basis for our determinations. If our board is not able to independently determine that the target business has a sufficient fair market value, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or
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another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will not be required to obtain an opinion from an investment banking firm as to the fair market value if our Board of Directors independently determines that the target business complies with the 80% threshold.
Lack of Business Diversification
We may seek to effect a business combination with more than one target business, although we expect to complete our business combination with just one business. Therefore, at least initially, the prospects for our success may be entirely dependent upon the future performance of a single business operation. Unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations of entities operating in multiple industries or multiple areas of a single industry, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
• subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination, and
• result in our dependency upon the performance of a single operating business or the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses and such businesses 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 acquisitions, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With multiple acquisitions, 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.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business’ Management
Although we intend to scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of the target business’ management will prove to be correct. In addition, we cannot assure you that the management team will have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the target business following a business combination cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that some of our key personnel will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following a business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their full-time efforts to our affairs subsequent to a business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination 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 them to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their ability to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. Additionally, we cannot assure you that our officers and directors will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
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 any such additional managers we do recruit will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
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Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve an Initial Business Combination
In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or don’t vote at all, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell 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 (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. 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. If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each stockholder may tender all of his, her or its shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. Whether we seek stockholder approval or engage in a tender offer, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. We have no specified maximum percentage threshold for conversions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and even those public stockholders who vote in favor of our initial business combination have the right to convert their public shares. As a result, this may make it easier for us to consummate our initial business combination.
If we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, this may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. Public stockholders may therefore have to wait 24 months from the closing of this offering in order to be able to receive a pro rata share of the trust account.
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed (1) to vote any shares of common stock owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to convert any shares of common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (3) not sell any shares of common stock in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination.
None of our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or shares of common stock in this offering or from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination or that they wish to convert their shares, our officers, directors, initial stockholders or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to reduce the number of conversions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers, directors, initial stockholders and their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock.
Conversion Rights
At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or do not vote at all, into 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 the initial business combination, less any taxes then due but not yet paid. Alternatively, we may provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock to us through 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, less any taxes then due but not yet paid.
Our initial stockholders and our officers and directors will not have conversion rights with respect to any shares of common stock owned by them, directly or indirectly, whether acquired prior to this offering or purchased by them in this offering or in the aftermarket.
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We may require public stockholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either (i) tender their certificates to our transfer agent or (ii) deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case prior to a date set forth in the proxy materials sent in connection with the proposal to approve the business combination.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced delivery process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a nominal amount and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise conversion rights. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising conversion rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
However, in the event we require stockholders seeking to exercise conversion rights prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated this may result in an increased cost to stockholders.
Any proxy solicitation materials we furnish to stockholders in connection with a vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring stockholders to satisfy such certification and delivery requirements. Accordingly, a stockholder would have from the time the stockholder received our proxy statement up until the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination to deliver his or her shares if he or she wishes to seek to exercise his conversion rights. This time period varies depending on the specific facts of each transaction. However, as the delivery process can be accomplished by the stockholder, whether or not he is a record holder or his shares are held in “street name,” in a matter of hours by simply contacting the transfer agent or his broker and requesting delivery of his shares through the DWAC System, we believe this time period is sufficient for an average investor. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. Please see the risk factor titled “In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, we may require stockholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights” for further information on the risks of failing to comply with these requirements.
Any request to convert such shares once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination or the expiration of the tender offer. Furthermore, if a holder of public shares delivered his or her certificate in connection with an election of their conversion and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, he or she may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
If the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their conversion rights would not be entitled to convert their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any shares delivered by public holders.
Liquidation if No Business Combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete an initial business combination. If we have not completed an initial business combination by such date and stockholders have not otherwise amended our charter to extend this date, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest not previously released to us but net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income that may be released to us for liquidation 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 the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect our public stockholders’ ability to convert or sell their shares to us in connection with a business combination as described herein or affect the substance or timing of our obligation
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to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to convert 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 not previously released to us but net of franchise and income taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our initial stockholders, executive officers, directors or any other person.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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 100% of our outstanding public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. It is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 24 month anniversary (or up to 30 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus), and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of 100% of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidation distribution.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent ten years. 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 current and former vendors (such as lawyers, auditors investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses.
We are required to seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result, the claims that could be made against us will be limited, thereby lessening the likelihood that any claim would result in any liability extending to the trust. We therefore believe that any necessary provision for creditors will be reduced and should not have a significant impact on our ability to distribute the funds in the trust account to our public stockholders. Nevertheless, MaloneBailey, LLP, LLC, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that other vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account. Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, an entity affiliated with Mr. Bengochea, has agreed that it will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per share by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us, but we cannot assure you that it will be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations if it is required to do so. We have not independently verified whether Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, we have not asked it to reserve for such obligations and we do not believe it has any significant liquid assets. Accordingly, we believe it is unlikely that it will be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations if it is required to do so. Additionally, the agreement Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC entered into specifically provides for two exceptions to the indemnity
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given: it will have no liability (1) as to any claimed amounts owed to a target business or vendor or other entity who has executed an agreement with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account, or (2) as to any claims for indemnification by the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. As a result, if we liquidate, the per-share distribution from the trust account could be less than $10.00 due to claims or potential claims of creditors.
We anticipate notifying the trustee of the trust account to begin liquidating such assets promptly after our 24 month anniversary (or up to 30 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) and anticipate it will take no more than 10 business days to effectuate such distribution. The holders of the Founders Shares have waived their rights to participate in any liquidation distribution from the trust account with respect to such shares. There will be no distribution from the trust account with respect to our rights or warrants, which will expire worthless. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, we will use the up to $100,000 of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us for our liquidation expenses.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination and expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein, the initial per-share redemption price would be $10.00. As discussed above, the proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of public stockholders.
Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete a business combination within the required time period, if the stockholders seek to have us convert or purchase their respective shares upon a business combination which is actually completed by us or upon certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to consummating an initial business combination. In no other circumstances shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which 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 to our public stockholders at least $10.00 per share.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which 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. Furthermore, because we intend to distribute the proceeds held in the trust account to our public stockholders promptly after 24 months from the closing of this offering, this may be viewed or interpreted as giving preference to our public stockholders over any potential creditors with respect to access to or distributions from our assets. Furthermore, our Board may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties 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.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of a majority of our stockholders. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect our public stockholders’ ability to convert or sell their shares to us as described herein or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will provide public stockholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote. This conversion right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by any executive officer, director, initial stockholder, or any other person. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive
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any conversion rights with respect to any Founders Shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:
• we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or don’t vote at all, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell 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 (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation;
• we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination;
• if our initial business combination is not consummated within 24 months from the closing of this offering, then we will redeem all of the outstanding public shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve our company;
• upon the consummation of this offering, $250,000,000, or $287,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account;
• we may not consummate any other business combination, merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction prior to our initial business combination; and
• prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional stock that participates in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or that votes as a class with the common stock sold in this offering on an initial business combination.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.
The following also may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses:
• our obligation to seek stockholder approval of a business combination or engage in a tender offer may delay the completion of a transaction;
• our obligation to convert or repurchase shares of common stock held by our public stockholders may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination; and
• our outstanding warrants, as well as the rights to one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination included within our units, and the potential future dilution they represent.
Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately held entities having a similar business objective as ours in acquiring a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms.
If we succeed in effecting a business combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business, including from companies that may be subject to less stringent disclosure and other securities law requirements as the surviving company in our business combination and that therefore may have a competitive advantage. We cannot assure you that, subsequent to a business combination, we will have the resources or ability to compete effectively.
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Facilities
We currently maintain our principal executive offices at 851 Broken Sound Parkway Nw Boca Raton, FL 33487. We will pay a of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We have two executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to devote only as much time as they deem necessary to our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the company is in. Accordingly, once a suitable target business has been located, management may spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time on our affairs) than had been spent prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
We have registered our units, common stock, warrants 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 report will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with or reconciled to United States generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards as promulgated by the International Accounting Standards Board. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have the necessary financial statements. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business.
We may be required to have our internal control procedures audited for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. 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.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 24 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
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Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares and contrasts the terms of our offering and the terms of an offering of blank check companies under Rule 419 promulgated by the SEC assuming that the gross proceeds, underwriting discounts and underwriting expenses for the Rule 419 offering are the same as this offering and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the terms of a Rule 419 offering will apply to this offering because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact.
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Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
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Escrow of offering proceeds |
$25,000,000 of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private warrants will be placed in a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. |
$223,650,000 of the offering proceeds would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
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Investment of net proceeds |
The $250,000,000 of the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private warrants held in trust will, if such proceeds are invested at all, only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. |
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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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
Our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on NASDAQ for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% fair market value test. |
We would be restricted from acquiring a target business unless the fair value of such business or net assets to be acquired represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
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Trading of securities issued |
The units may commence trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The shares of common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin to trade separately on the 52nd day after the date of this prospectus unless D. Boral Capital informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering, including any proceeds we receive from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if such option is exercised prior to the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise and consummation of the over-allotment option. We will also include in this Form 8-K, an amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if D. Boral Capital has allowed separate trading of the shares of common stock, warrants and rights prior to the 52nd day after the date of this prospectus. The distributable right will be distributed upon successful completion of our initial business combination. |
No trading of the units or the underlying shares of common stock, warrants 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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Exercise of the warrants |
The warrants cannot be exercised until 30 days after the completion of a business combination and, accordingly, will be exercised only after the trust account has been terminated and distributed |
The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
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Election to remain an investor |
We will either (1) give our stockholders the opportunity to vote on the business combination or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock to us in a tender offer for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less taxes. If we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination, we will send each stockholder a proxy statement containing information required by the SEC. Alternatively, if |
A prospectus containing information 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 the post-effective amendment, to decide whether he or she elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his or her investment. If the company has not received the notification by |
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Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
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we do not hold a meeting and instead conduct a tender offer, we will conduct such tender offer in accordance with 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 as we would have included in a proxy statement. |
The end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account would automatically be returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all of the deposited funds in the escrow account must be returned to all investors and none of the securities will be issued. |
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Business combination deadline |
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 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 outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest not released to us but 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 the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. |
If an acquisition has not been consummated within 18 months after the effective date of the initial registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account would be returned to investors. |
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Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
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Interest earned on the funds in the trust account |
There can be released to us, from time to time, any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations (excluding taxes payable pursuant to the IR Act). The remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time (in which case up to $100,000 of interest may be used for liquidation expenses). |
All interest earned on the funds in the trust account will be held in trust for the benefit of public stockholders until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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Release of funds |
Except for any interest earned on the funds in the trust account released to us for our tax obligations as described above, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
The proceeds held in the escrow account would not be released to the company 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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Directors and Executive Officers
Our current directors and executive officers are as follows:
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Name |
Age |
Title |
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Jose Antonio Bengochea |
34 |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman |
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William Caragol |
57 |
Chief Financial Officer and Director |
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Tarron Hecox |
34 |
Lead Independent Director |
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Melissa Escobar |
56 |
Independent Director |
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Dr. Constantino Mendieta |
61 |
Independent Director |
Jose Antonio Bengochea is our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Bengochea has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Iron Horse I since November 2021, and has served as the managing member of Bengochea SPAC Sponsor I LLC, the sponsor of Iron Horse I since November 2021. Mr. Bengochea is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bengochea Capital LLC (“Bengochea Capital”), an investment firm founded in 2020 to pursue frontier asset classes and, through Mr. Bengochea’s network of connections to various M&E industry executives and celebrities, to examine global opportunities in media and entertainment. Bengochea Capital has been a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the 2023 Grammy Awards; is currently a registered media entity with the Recording Academy for the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards; has been present at the Cannes Film Festival, among other prestigious events; and has access to several animation, family, and IP potential deal-flow, with a growing number of business touchpoints across Asia. Prior to founding Bengochea Capital, Mr. Bengochea was a part of Sony’s Global Business Development team in Los Angeles and, prior to that, served as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Jenner & Block in New York City. Mr. Bengochea holds an A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard University, where he designed his own degree, entitled Comparative Imperial History, and graduated with a secondary specialization in Archaeology. Mr. Bengochea also holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
We believe that Mr. Bengochea will be an excellent candidate to serve as an officer of the Company due to his extensive M&E experience, having taken a SPAC from IPO to business combination in addition to his strong academic credentials.
William Caragol is our Chief Financial Officer and a director of the Company. Mr. Caragol has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Iron Horse I since December 2023. Mr. Caragol has over thirty years of experience working with growth stage companies. In 2018, he founded and is the Managing Director of Quidem LLC, a corporate strategic and financial advisory firm. Since July 2021 he has been the Chief Financial Officer of Mainz Biomed N.V. (NASDAQ: MYNZ), a molecular genetics diagnostic company specializing in the early detection of cancer. Since 2015, Mr. Caragol has been Chairman of the Board of Thermomedics, Inc., a privately held medical diagnostic equipment company. Since July 2021, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Worksport Ltd. (NASDAQ: WKSP), a growth stage technology company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. Since July 2023, Mr. Caragol has served on the Board of Directors of Janover, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNVR), a PrB2B fintech marketplace company, and sits on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Caragol served on the Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Audit Committee of Greenbox POS (NASDAQ: GBOX) a financial technology company leveraging proprietary blockchain security to build customized payment solutions. Mr. Caragol earned a B.S. in business administration and accounting from Washington & Lee University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
We believe that Mr. Caragol will be an excellent candidate to serve as an officer and director of the Company due to his extensive financial experience including the most recent role as CFO and COO of Iron Horse I from inception as a SPAC through its business combination.
Tarron Hecox will serve as our lead independent director of the Company. Mr. Hecox has ample public markets and operational experience. Since 2019, he has held various commercial roles at AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a Fortune 500 company. Previously, Mr. Hecox worked with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, William Blair & Company, and Parnassus Investments, and he also formerly co-founded Spartan Capital L.L.C. in 2017, a private fund formed to pursue technology opportunities. Mr. Hecox is also well versed in SPACs and entertainment through the private
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fund he co-founded in 2014, Limitless Strategies, LLC, which focuses on creating value through public and private investments in media, entertainment, and AI. Mr. Hecox received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2016; an undergraduate degree with highest distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied economics, finance, and accounting; a masters from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and has held a CPA designation. We believe that Mr. Hecox’s strong history of public markets experience, as will as his extensive experiences with corporate ventures, makes him an excellent candidate to serve as a director of the Company.
Ms. Melissa de Assis Escobar will serve as an independent director of the Company. Ms. Escobar is an especially prominent global figure in entertainment, having been recognized as a pioneer in the development of Hispanic content and global talent. She co-founded Latin World Entertainment alongside actress Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer in 1994, and together leads Latin World Entertainment’s growth into a multicultural entertainment leader specializing in series, documentaries, films, and brand marketing, with an audience of over 900 million global followers through its network. Under Ms. Escobar’s leadership, Latin World Entertainment has won critical acclaim, having produced works such as Griselda for Netflix and Maradona: Sueño Bendito for Amazon Prime. In all, she has over 30 years of entertainment experience, having worked with top-tier companies such as Telemundo, Univision, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube/Google, Disney Buenavista, ABC and HBO Latino. Her team has marketed over 1,000 major Hollywood studio films to Hispanics, and promoted premier Spanish-language music tours for the largest live entertainment companies in the USA. We believe that Ms. Escobar will be an excellent candidate to serve as a director of the Company due to her prominence in the M&E industry and extensive global network.
Dr. Constantino Mendieta will serve as an independent director of the Company. Dr. Mendieta is renown surgeon, having appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the founder Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, a family office focusing in part on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. Dr. Mendieta is an avid global technology and entertainment investor as well as a leading, Board Certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Dr. Mendieta founded the 4Beauty Aesthetic Institute in 2002 and serves as [PLEASE ADD]. Dr. Mendieta has appeared on NBC, CNN, as well as on several programs for his advancements in the surgical community, and the Consumer Research Council in America has named Dr. Mendieta one of America’s Top Surgeons five years in a row. In 2018, Dr. Mendieta also founded his family office, Mendieta Family Holdings LLC, which, in part, focuses on investments in media & entertainment assets, SPACs, and emerging technologies. He is also the doctor to several high-profile musicians, models, and celebrities. Dr. Mendieta holds a B.S. in Psychology from Creighton University, MD from Creighton University. Dr. Mendieta has Fellowship of Plastic Surgery from the Royal College Of Surgeon, Edinburgh, Scotland, performed plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Fellowship in Aesthetic Surgery and Clinical Fellow from Harvard Medical School. We believe that Mr. Mendieta will be an excellent candidate to serve as a director of the Company due to his familiarity with SPACs, investments in media and entertainment, and extensive celebrity network.
Strategic Advisors
We expect that our Strategic Advisors will assist our management team in search of suitable acquisition targets following the consummation of this offering. However, they have no written advisory agreement with us. Although all three Strategic Advisors were independent directors of Iron Horse I, they are not board members of this current company, have no fiduciary obligations to us, will not perform board or committee functions and will not have any voting or decision-making power. Accordingly, if any of our advisors becomes aware of a business combination which is suitable for any of the entities to which he has fiduciary or contractual obligations (including other blank check companies), he will honor his fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Nonetheless, we believe them to be powerful assets whose networks, experiences, and accolades make them value-enhancing additions to our team. They are as follows:
Ken Hertz will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company, and has been serving since December 2023 as an Iron Horse I independent director and Chairman of Iron Horse I’s Executive Committee. Mr. Hertz is currently a director for JUST GOODS and has served as a Senior Partner in the Los Angeles law firm of Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk LLP since 2007. Mr. Hertz and his partners specialize in representing talent, senior executives, entrepreneurs, agencies, and brands in entertainment, fashion, sports, media, and technology industries. Prior to forming the firm, Mr. Hertz had been a partner in Hansen Jacobson & Teller, since 1989. Before that, he was global head of music — business and legal affairs — for The Walt Disney Company. He is also a principal in memBrain — an entertainment marketing and strategy consulting firm that advises a number of C-Suite
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executives on their company’s entertainment related marketing strategies. memBrain has worked with Intel, McDonald’s, Hasbro, MillerCoors, Li & Fung and Logitech. Mr. Hertz has also been an active early-stage venture investor and advisor since 1997 and is a frequent speaker and commentator on the subjects of entertainment, marketing and convergence. He is often quoted in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal, has appeared on CNBC’s monthly newsmagazine “Business Nation,” has been an instructor at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, Marshall School of Business, Stanford Business School, and an adjunct professor of law at USC. He graduated UCLA with a J.D. in 1984 and U.C. Berkeley in 1981 with a B.S.
Brian Turner will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Turner has been serving since December 2023 as the Chairman of the board of directors of Iron Horse I and was formerly Chair of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space. He has served on numerous public and private companies boards of directors as well. Mr. Turner was the Chief Financial Officer of Coinstar Inc. from 2003 until June 2009. Prior to Coinstar, from 2001 to 2003, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Real Networks, Inc., a digital media and technology company. Prior to Real Networks, from 1999 to 2001, Mr. Turner was employed by Bsquare Corp., a software company, where he initially served as Senior Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary, before being promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Turner was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration of Radisys Corp., an embedded software company. Mr. Turner’s experience also includes 13 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where he held several positions including Director of Corporate Finance. Mr. Turner was formerly Chairman of the Board of Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS), a public company in the lidar space, and is now Chair of the Audit Committee for MVIS. Mr. Turner has also been a director for several private companies. Mr. Turner holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington.
Scott Morris, will serve as a strategic advisor to the Company. Mr. Morris was an Iron Horse I independent director and has been Chairman of Avista (NYSE: AVA) since 2008. Mr. Morris started his career at AVA in 1981. From 2008 to 2019, he served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and served as Avista’s President from 2008 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Morris was also the company’s Chief Operating Officer. His experiences include management positions in multiple industries, including construction, customer service, and utilities. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University and received his master’s degree from Gonzaga University in organizational leadership. He also attended the Stanford Business School Financial Management Program and the Kidder Peabody School of Financial Management. Mr. Morris serves on the boards of McKinstry Inc. and California Water Service. He is also on the Board of Trustees of Gonzaga University. He has served on a number of Spokane nonprofit and economic development Boards.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. However, we will enter into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which, commencing on the date of the closing of this offering lasting for 24 months from such date of closing of this offering, we will pay $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. This arrangement would be solely pursuant to any agreements between our Chief Executive Officer and our sponsor, to which the Company is not a party, and any such payments would not be intended to provide our Chief Executive Officer with compensation in lieu of a salary for his service as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, will also 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 limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. They may also receive repayment for any loans made by them to us for working capital needs or extending our time to consummate an initial business combination.
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No other compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
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 stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders. However, the amount of such compensation may not be known at the time of the stockholder meeting held to consider an initial business combination, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. In this event, such compensation will be publicly disclosed at the time of its determination in a Current Report on Form 8-K or a periodic report, as required by the SEC.
Director Independence
Currently Tarron Hecox, Melissa Escobar, and Dr. Constantino Mendieta would each be considered an “independent director” under NASDAQ listing rules, which 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.
Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Any affiliated transactions will be on terms no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties. Our Board of Directors will review and approve all affiliated transactions with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
Audit Committee
Effective upon the date of this prospectus, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Tarron Hecox, Dr. Constantino Mendieta, and Melissa Escobar, each of whom is an independent director under NASDAQ’s listing standards. Tarron Hecox will serve as chair of the audit committee. The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
• discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
• discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
• monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
• verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
• reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
• inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
• appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
• determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
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• establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and
• approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses.
Financial Experts on Audit Committee
The audit committee will at all times be composed exclusively of “independent directors” who are “financially literate” as defined under NASDAQ’s listing standards. NASDAQ’s standards define “financially literate” as being able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
In addition, we must certify to NASDAQ that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s financial sophistication. The Board of Directors has determined that Tarron Hecox qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under rules and regulations of the SEC.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Effective upon the date of this prospectus, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance will be Tarron Hecox, Dr. Constantino Mendieta, and Melissa Escobar. Tarron Hecox 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.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees, which are specified in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charter, generally provide that person to be nominated:
• should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;
• should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and
• should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the stockholders.
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by stockholders and other persons.
Compensation Committee
Effective upon the date of this prospectus, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Tarron Hecox, Dr. Constantino Mendieta, and Melissa Escobar, each of whom is an independent director under NASDAQ’s listing standards. Melissa Escobar will serve as chair of the compensation committee. The compensation committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other 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;
• if required, 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.
Code of Ethics
Effective upon the date of this prospectus, we will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics will codify the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:
• the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;
• the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and
• it would not be fair to the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that:
• except as may be prescribed by any written agreement with us, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue; and
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• 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 to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
Our officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with other companies. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from such other corporate affiliations, each of our officers and directors has contractually agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, until the earliest of our execution of a definitive agreement for a business combination, our liquidation or such time as he or she ceases to be an officer or director, to present to our company for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other entity, any suitable business opportunity which may reasonably be required to be presented to us, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations he or she might have. The foregoing agreement does not restrict our officers from becoming affiliated with other companies in the future which could take priority over our company; however, we believe that such agreement still benefits us because our officers and directors are obligated to present suitable business opportunities to us to the extent that none of their other fiduciary or contractual obligations require them to present it to another entity.
The following table summarizes the pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
|
Name of Individual(s) |
Name of Affiliated Company |
Position at Affiliated Company |
|
Jose Antonio Bengochea |
Bengochea Capital, LLC Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC Iron Horse I |
CEO Founder Managing Member CEO, Director |
|
William J. Caragol, Jr |
Quidem LLC Mainz Biomed N.V. Janover, Inc. Worksport Ltd. Thermomedics Inc. Iron Horse I |
Managing Director CFO Director Director Chairman CFO and COO |
|
Melissa Escobar |
Latin World Entertainment |
Co-Founder |
|
Dr. Constantino Mendieta |
Mendieta Family Holdings LLC |
Founder |
|
Tarron Hecox |
AGCO Corporation Limitless Strategies LLC |
Employee Co-Founder |
While the foregoing may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
Prior SPAC Experience
Iron Horse Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: “IROH”) Several members of our management team and advisors served as an officer or director of Iron Horse I, a special purpose acquisition company. Mr. Bengochea, our CEO served as the CEO and a director of Iron Horse I, and Mr. Caragol, our CFO, served as both CFO and COO of Iron Horse I. Mr. Hertz, Mr. Turner and Mr. Morris, our financial advisors, all serve as independent directors on the board of directors of Iron Horse I. Iron Horse I closed its IPO on December 29, 2023 after its registration statement was declared effective on December 27, 2023. In September, 2024, Iron Horse I entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”), dated as of September 27, 2024, with Rosey Sea Holdings Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“Seller”) and the owner of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Zhong Guo Liang Tou Group Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (the “Target”).The share price of IROH as listed on January [*], 2025 was $___. Iron Horse I has until June 29, 2025 to complete its business combination unless such time is extended by a vote of its stockholders at a special meeting convened to extend the time to complete a business combination.
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Investors should also be aware of the following additional potential conflicts of interest:
• None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities.
• Unless we consummate our initial business combination, our officers, directors and initial stockholders will not receive reimbursement or repayment for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them, or loans made to us, to the extent that such expenses exceed the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the trust account.
• The Founders Shares beneficially owned by our initial stockholders, and the private warrants purchased by our initial stockholders, and any warrants which our officers or directors may purchase in the aftermarket will expire worthless if a business combination is not consummated. This is because our officers and directors and affiliates will not receive liquidation distributions from the trust account with respect to any of the Founders Shares or warrants.
For the foregoing reasons, our Board may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate to effect a business combination with.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or initial stockholders unless we have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. We will also need to obtain the approval of a majority of our disinterested independent directors. Furthermore, in no event will any of our initial stockholders, members of our management team or their respective affiliates be paid any compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) other than the payment of a total of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business, as well as repayment of the $300,000 loan from our sponsor and reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target. However, based on the fact that there may be substantial overlap between any such companies, businesses or investments that would be a suitable business combination for us, and because we may consummate a business combination with a target in a broad array of industries, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
• Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs.
• Our initial stockholders purchased 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. 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 and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, our sponsor, officers and
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directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, the private warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any shares of common stock issuable upon exercise thereof until the earlier to occur of: (i) 12 months after the completion of our initial business combination or (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our shares of common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lockup. The private warrants (including the shares issuable upon exercise of the private warrants) will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our officers and director nominees will own ordinary shares or rights directly or indirectly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
Our sponsor and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination, including the fact that they may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $4,605,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares (or approximately $0.002 per share) and the $4,580,000 purchase price for the private warrants (or $1.00 per private warrant), which may be exercised on a cashless basis. Accordingly, our management team may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier or less-established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public stockholders paid for their public shares and if our sponsor were required to pay cash to exercise the private warrants, as our sponsor and members of our management team would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination. These interests of our executive officers and directors may affect the consideration paid, terms, conditions and timing relating to a business combination in a way that conflicts with the interests of our public stockholders.
• Certain members of our management team may receive compensation upon consummation of our initial business combination, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as such compensation will not be received unless we consummate such business combination.
• Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
• In the event our sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur expenses on our behalf in connection with an initial business combination, such persons may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as such loans may not be repaid and/or such expenses may not be reimbursed unless we consummate such business combination.
• Similarly, if we agree to pay our sponsor, or a member of our management team or one of their affiliates a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, such persons may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination as any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from permitted withdrawals.
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Assuming no liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction takes place, lock-ups on securities owned by our initial stockholder would expire as follows:
|
Founder Shares |
Private Warrants |
|
|
6 months after the completion of our initial business combination |
30 days after the completion of 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.
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The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our shares of common stock as of the date of this prospectus and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our shares of common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase 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 officers and directors; and
• all of our officers and directors as a group.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record of beneficial ownership of the warrants included in the units offered by this prospectus or the private warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
|
Prior to Offering |
After Offering(3) |
||||||||
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Amount and |
Approximate |
Amount and |
Approximate |
|||||
|
Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC |
12,321,429 |
100 |
% |
||||||
____________
* Less than one percent.
(1) Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following is c/o Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC. Mr. Bengochea is the managing member, and has dispositive voting rights on the shares of common stock held. At _____________.
(2) Interests shown consist solely of founder shares.
Immediately after this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own approximately 22% of the then issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units offered by this prospectus). None of our officers, directors and initial stockholders has indicated to us that it or they intend to purchase our securities in the offering. Because of the ownership block held by our officers, directors and initial stockholders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option, an aggregate of 1,607,143 Founders Shares will be forfeited. Only a number of shares necessary to maintain the 22% ownership interest in our shares of common stock after giving effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering) will be necessary.
All of the Founders Shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent, until the earlier of 180 days after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Up to 1,607,143 of the Founders Shares may also be released from escrow earlier than this date for cancellation if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full as described above.
During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except for transfers, assignments or sales (i) among our initial stockholders or to our initial stockholders’ members, officers, directors, consultants or their affiliates, (ii) to a holder’s stockholders or members upon its liquidation, (iii) by bona fide gift to a member of the holder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is the holder or a member
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of the holder’s immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (iv) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (v) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (vi) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, or (vii) in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased, in each case (except for clause (vi) or with our prior consent) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and to be bound by these transfer restrictions, but will retain all other rights as our stockholders, including, without limitation, the right to vote their shares of common stock and the right to receive cash dividends, if declared. If dividends are declared and payable in shares of common stock, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate, there will be no liquidation distribution with respect to the Founders Shares.
Our sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, and/or its designees will purchase from us an aggregate of 4,580,000 private warrants (for a total purchase price of $4,580,000) from us. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private warrants on a pro rata basis (up to a maximum of 687,000 additional private warrants) at a price of $1.00 per private warrant in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $1.00 per warrant sold to the public in this offering, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private warrants are identical to the public warrants sold in this offering. The initial purchasers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants and underlying securities (except in connection with the same limited exceptions that the Founders Shares may be transferred as described above) until after the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of a liquidation prior to our initial business combination, the private warrants will likely be worthless.
SPONSOR OWNERSHIP
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of interests in Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, our sponsor, by each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of its membership interests;
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Before Offering |
After Offering |
|||||||
|
Name of Beneficial Owner |
Number of |
Approximate |
Number of |
Approximate |
||||
____________
* Mr. Bengochea is the managing member of the sponsor and directs its day to day operations.
Except as indicated above, there is no person that has a direct or indirect material interest in the sponsor.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial stockholders, officers, directors and their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, on a non-interest bearing basis, 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, if there are excess funds, on the date on which the Company concludes the initial public offering of its securities. 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.
Our executive officers are our “promoters,” as that term is defined under the federal securities laws.
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Private Placement Warrants
Our sponsor and the representative of the underwriters, have committed, pursuant to written agreements, to purchase an aggregate of 4,580,000 private warrants (4,805,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, or $4,580,000 in the aggregate ($4,805,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of those 4,580,000 private warrants, our sponsor has agreed to purchase _____________ private warrants and the underwriter has agreed to purchase _________ private placement units. The non-managing sponsor investors have indicated an interest to indirectly purchase, through the purchase of non-managing sponsor membership interests, an aggregate of [**] private warrants at a price of $1.00 per private warrant ($[**] in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing sponsor investor purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement warrants allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor investors reflecting interests in an aggregate of [***] founder shares held by the sponsor. As a result, the number of private placement units purchased by the non-managing sponsor investors through the sponsor, if any, will proportionally reduce the number of private warrants that would otherwise be purchased by the managing member of the sponsor through the sponsor.
The private warrants will be identical to the warrants sold in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants (i) may not (including the shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) will be entitled to registration rights and (iii) with respect to private placement warrants held by the underwriter and/or its designees, will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8). A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants are subject to the transfer restrictions described below. Our sponsor, and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Expression of Interest
The non-managing sponsor investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately 28,750,000 units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of the non-managing sponsor investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the units to be sold in this offering.
Subject to each non-managing sponsor investor purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement warrants allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor investors reflecting interests in an aggregate of [***] founder shares held by the sponsor. The non-managing sponsor investors are not granted any shareholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public shareholders, and will only be issued membership interests in the sponsor, with no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor, including the founder shares and the private placement warrants held by the sponsor. The interests of the members of the sponsor are denominated in two classes of membership interest units: (i) class A membership units representing interests in the founder shares and (ii) class B membership units that will represent an interest in the private placement warrants. All members of the sponsor, including the managing member of the sponsor, and any non-managing sponsor investor that may join the sponsor concurrently with this offering, will hold both classes of membership units representing their proportional interest in the founder shares and private placement warrants, respectively. Pursuant to an agreement of all members of the sponsor, the management and control of the sponsor is vested exclusively with the managing member of the sponsor, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any non-managing sponsor investors regardless of their unit ownership. As a result of this management structure, non-managing sponsor investors will have no right to control the sponsor, or participate in any decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the sponsor, or otherwise. Further, the non-managing sponsor investors are not required to (i) hold any units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination.
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The non-managing sponsor investors will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. However, if the non-managing sponsor investors purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the non-managing sponsor investors will potentially have different interests than our other public shareholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public shareholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares as further discussed in this prospectus.
There can be no assurance that the non-managing sponsor investors will acquire any units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the units these investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, non-managing sponsor investors may determine to purchase a different number of units in this offering, or none at all. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the units to investors and may determine to sell a different number of units to the non-managing sponsor investors, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on units purchased by the non-managing sponsor investors, if any, as it will on the other units sold to the public in this offering. In the event that the non-managing sponsor investors purchase the number of units in which they have expressed an interest (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because our non-managing sponsor investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these non-managing sponsor investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non-managing sponsor investors will vote on any business combination.
Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private placement units
The founder shares and private warrants and any shares of common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreements entered into by our sponsor and management team. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or saleable (i) in the case of the founder shares and (ii) in the case of the private placement units and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion or exercise thereof, as follows:
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Founder Shares |
Private placement units |
|
|
until the earlier of (A) 6 months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the shares of common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. |
until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination |
The securities, pursuant to the restrictions described above, are not transferable or saleable except in each case (a) to our or Roth’s officers, directors, advisors or consultants, any affiliate or family member of any of our or Roth’s officers, directors, advisors or consultants, any members or partners of the sponsor or their affiliates and funds and accounts advised by such members or partners, any affiliates of the sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates, (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement, in connection with an extension of the completion
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window or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) pro rata distributions from our sponsor or Roth to its respective members, partners or shareholders pursuant to our sponsor’s or Roth’s limited liability company agreement or other charter documents; (g) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor or upon dissolution of Roth, (h) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination; (i) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property or (j) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a transfer would be permissible under clauses (a) through (g); provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (g) and clause (j) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreements.
Assuming no liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction takes place, lock-ups on securities owned by our initial shareholders would expire as follows:
|
Founder Shares |
Private Placement Units |
|
|
the earlier of (A) 6 months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. |
30 days after the completion of our business combination |
Lock-up Agreement with Underwriter
We, our sponsor and our executive officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the representative, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option or right to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, rights, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any units, ordinary shares, founder shares or rights, subject to certain exceptions. The representative in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice, other than in the case of the officers and directors, which shall be with notice. Our sponsor, officers and directors are also subject to separate transfer restrictions on their founder shares and private placement units pursuant to the letter agreement described herein.
Non-Managing Sponsor Investors’ Membership Interest Units In The Sponsor
The non-managing sponsor investors may not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, mortgage, charge, hypothecate, exchange or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, all or any portion of their units in the sponsor without the prior written consent of the managing member of the sponsor, unless it’s a permitted transfer as permitted to such non-managing sponsor investors’ affiliates (which affiliates shall include any non-managing sponsor investors’ owners of an equity interest, direct investors, members, or limited partners, as the case may be), immediate family, or to a trust, the primary beneficiary(ies) of which is a member or members of such non-managing sponsor investors’ immediate family; provided that such recipient shall be required to become a non-managing sponsor investor in the sponsor.
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Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement warrants which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and the shares underlying such private warrants and (iii) private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of our initial business combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, we will be obligated to register up to _____________ Class A ordinary shares and ____________ warrants. The number of Class A ordinary shares includes (i)_____________ founder shares, (ii) _____________ shares underlying the private warrants. The number of warrants includes up to ______________ private warrants. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the underwriter may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, the underwriter may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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In November 2024, we issued 12,321,429 shares of common stock to Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, for $25,000 in cash, at a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share, in connection with our organization. Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC shall subsequently transfer, on consummation of this offering, certain of such shares to our officers, directors and other individuals at the same price originally paid for such shares. If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of their over-allotment option, our initial stockholders will forfeit up to an aggregate of 1,607,143 shares of common stock in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised.
If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a share dividend or a contribution back to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our initial stockholders’ ownership at a percentage of the number of shares to be sold in this offering.
Our sponsor has committed that it and/or its designees will purchase, pursuant to a written subscription agreement with us, the 4,580,000 private warrants (for a total purchase price of $4,580,000) from us. This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. It has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private warrants on a pro rata basis (up to a maximum of 225,000 private warrants) at a price of $1.00 per private warrants in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per Public Unit sold to the public in this offering, without taking into account any interest earned on such funds or any increase as a result of our extending the time to consummate a business combination as described herein. These additional private warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of Public Units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The purchase price for the private warrants will be deposited into the trust account simultaneously with the consummation of the offering. The purchasers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants and underlying securities (except to certain permitted transferees) until after the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of a liquidation prior to our initial business combination, the private warrants will likely be worthless.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial stockholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, on a non-interest bearing basis, 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 holder’s discretion, if there are excess proceeds, upon the close of this initial public offering. 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.
The holders of our Founders Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private warrants and any warrants our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (and all underlying securities), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Founders Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private warrants and warrants issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, D. Boral Capital may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, D. Boral Capital may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the offering. As of November 30, 2024, we had not borrowed any amounts (of up to $300,000 available to us) under the promissory note with our sponsor, which was used to pay a portion of the expenses of this offering referenced in the line items above for SEC registration fee, FINRA filing fee, any non-refundable portion of the NASDAQ listing fee not covered by D. Boral Capital, a portion of the legal and audit fees and other offering expenses. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and repayable upon the earlier of (a) the date on which the SPAC
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consummates its initial business combination or, at the holder’s discretion, if funds allow, or (b) the date on which the Company concludes the initial public offering of its securities. The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. We will $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. See “Executive Compensation” for further information relating to this payment and the possibility that some portion of the amount may be paid by our sponsor to our Chief Executive Officer.
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 certificate of incorporation.
Other than the foregoing payments, no compensation or fees of any kind will be paid to our initial stockholders, members of our management team or their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination.
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 stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders. However, the amount of such compensation may not be known at the time of the stockholder meeting held to consider an initial business combination, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. In this event, such compensation will be publicly disclosed at the time of its determination in a Current Report on Form 8-K or a periodic report, as required by the SEC.
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our disinterested “independent” directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
Related Party Policy
Our Code of Ethics requires us to avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the Board of Directors (or the audit committee). Related-party transactions are defined as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (2) we or any of our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial owner of our shares of common stock, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
Our audit committee, pursuant to its written charter, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related-party transactions to the extent we enter into such transactions. The audit committee will consider all relevant factors when determining whether to approve a related party transaction, including whether the related party transaction is on terms no less favorable to us than terms generally available from an unaffiliated third-party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction. No director may participate in the approval
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of any transaction in which he or she is a related party, but that director is required to provide the audit committee with all material information concerning the transaction. We also require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our initial stockholders, officers or directors unless we have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. We will also need to obtain approval of a majority of our disinterested independent directors. However, the following payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, 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:
• Repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
• Payment of $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business;
• Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination;
• Repayment of non-interest-bearing extension loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to extend the time we have to consummate an intended initial business combination. Such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period; and
• Repayment of non-interest bearing loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto.
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.
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General
As of the date of this prospectus, we will be authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001. As of the date of this prospectus, ______________ shares of common stock are outstanding. No shares of preferred stock are currently outstanding. The following description summarizes the material terms of our securities. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you. For a complete description you should refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, bylaws and the form of warrant agreement, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and to the applicable provisions of Delaware law.
Units
Each unit consists of one share of common stock, one-half warrant, and one-eight (1/8) of one right. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination.
We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet promptly upon the consummation of this offering. The audited balance sheet will reflect proceeds we receive from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in this Form 8-K, an amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K information indicating if D. Boral Capital has allowed separate trading of the shares of common stock, warrants and rights prior to the 52nd day after the date of this prospectus.
Common Stock
Our stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective shares of common stock owned by them immediately prior to this offering and any shares purchased in this offering or following this offering in the open market in favor of the proposed business combination.
We will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares eligible to vote for the election of directors can elect all of the directors.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we do not consummate an initial business combination by 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will cease our corporate existence except for the purposes of winding up our affairs and liquidating. If we are forced to liquidate prior to an initial business combination, our public stockholders are entitled to share ratably in the trust account, based on the amount then held in the trust account.
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to participate in any liquidation distribution from the trust account occurring upon our failure to consummate an initial business combination with respect to the Founders common stock. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors will therefore not participate in any liquidation distribution from the trust account with respect to such shares. They will, however, participate in any liquidation distribution from the trust account with respect to any shares of common stock acquired in, or following, this offering.
Our stockholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the shares of common stock, except that public stockholders have the right to sell their shares to us in a tender offer or have their shares of common stock converted to cash equal to their pro rata share
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of the trust account in connection with the consummation of our business combination. Public stockholders who sell or convert their stock into their share of the trust account still have the right to exercise the warrants that they received as part of the units.
Preferred Stock
There are no shares of preferred stock outstanding. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by our Board of Directors. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering. Accordingly, our Board of Directors is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock. However, the underwriting agreement prohibits us, prior to a business combination, from issuing preferred stock which participates in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or which votes as a class with the common stock on a business combination. We may issue some or all of the preferred stock to effect a business combination. In addition, the preferred stock could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us. 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.
Warrants
No warrants are currently outstanding. Each warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of an initial business combination. However, no warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such shares of common stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In the event of such cashless exercise, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” for this purpose will mean the average reported last sale price of the shares of common stock for the 5 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date of exercise. The warrants will expire on the fifth anniversary of our completion of an initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation of the trust account.
The private warrants, as well as any warrants underlying additional units we issue to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be identical to the warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus.
We may call the warrants for redemption, in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant,
• at any time after the warrants become exercisable,
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder,
• if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the shares of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations), for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period commencing at any time after the shares underlying the warrants have become exercisable and ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders; and
• if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the shares of common stock underlying such warrants.
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The right to exercise will be forfeited unless the warrants are exercised prior to the date specified in the notice of redemption. On and after the redemption date, a record holder of a warrant will have no further rights except to receive the redemption price for such holder’s warrant upon surrender of such warrant.
The redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants.
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” for this purpose shall mean the average reported last sale price of the shares of common stock for the 5 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval, by written consent or vote, of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding warrants in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, extraordinary dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of shares of common stock at a price below their respective exercise prices.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our Board of Directors, and in the case of any such issuance to our initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founders Shares held by them prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our shares of common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the corresponding $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price, by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of shares of common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of common stock. After the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
Warrant holders may elect to be subject to a restriction on the exercise of their warrants such that an electing warrant holder would not be able to exercise their warrants to the extent that, after giving effect to such exercise, such holder would beneficially own in excess of 10.1% of the shares of common stock outstanding.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round up to the nearest whole number the number of shares of common stock to be issued to the warrant holder.
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Rights included as part of units
Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of a public right converted all shares held by such holder in connection with the initial business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert such holder’s rights in order to receive the one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive such holder’s additional shares upon consummation of an initial business combination. 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 our common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted basis into common stock.
We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with applicable law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 5 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a 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 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. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of 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 dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our then board of directors. It is the present intention of our Board of Directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our Board does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our securities and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004.
Listing of our Securities
We have applied to have our units listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “_____U” and, once the common stock, warrants and rights begin separate trading, under the symbols “_____,” “_____W” and “_____R,” respectively. If approved for listing, we anticipate that our units will be listed on NASDAQ on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the common stock, warrants and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the common stock, warrants and rights will be listed separately and as a unit on NASDAQ.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws
Staggered board of directors; board vacancies
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our Board of Directors will be classified into three classes of directors of approximately equal size. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings. Additionally, in certain
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circumstances, when a vacancy on the Board of Directors arises due to the expansion of our board’s size or due to the resignation, death or removal of a director, our bylaws authorize the Board of Directors (rather than our stockholders) to fill the resulting vacancy, which may make it harder for stockholders to replace directors.
Stockholder action; special meeting of stockholders
Our bylaws provide that stockholders may not take action by written consent, but may only take action at an annual or special meetings of stockholders. Additionally, our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our Board of Directors, by our president or by our Chairman or by our Secretary at the request in writing of stockholders owning a majority of our issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote.
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 delivered to our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 60th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the scheduled date of the annual meeting of stockholders. In the event that less than 70 days’ notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting of stockholders is given, a stockholder’s notice shall be timely if delivered to our principal executive offices not later than the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of our annual meeting of stockholders is first made or sent by us. 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.
Supermajority approval requirement
Under our bylaws, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, the approval of holders representing at least two thirds (2/3rds) of the total voting power of the shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors will be required for stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Authorized but unissued shares
Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Exclusive forum selection
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder and therefore bring a claim in another appropriate forum. Additionally, we cannot be certain that a court will decide that this provision is either applicable or enforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of
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forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. 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. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our directors and officers will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from their actions as directors.
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 certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also will permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify the directors and officers.
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 directors and officers, 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 directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to 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.
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering, we will have 35,714,286 shares of common stock outstanding, or 41,071,429 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Of these shares, the 25,000,000 shares sold in this offering, or 28,750,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering. All of those shares have been placed in escrow and will not be transferable until they are released except in limited circumstances described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or 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 a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:
• 1% of the number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal 250,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 287,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and
• the average weekly trading volume of the shares of common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales 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
Historically, the SEC staff had taken the position that Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by companies that are, or previously were, blank check companies, like us. The SEC has codified and expanded this position in the amendments discussed above by prohibiting the use of Rule 144 for resale of securities issued by any shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or any issuer that has been at any time previously a shell company. The SEC has provided an important exception to this prohibition, however, if the following conditions are met:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than 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, it is likely that pursuant to Rule 144, our initial stockholders will be able to sell their Founders Shares freely without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination assuming none of them are affiliates of ours at that time.
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founders Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private warrants and any warrants our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (and all underlying securities), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Founders
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Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private warrants and warrants issued to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, D. Boral Capital may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination; provided, however, that D. Boral Capital may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
To be supplied by Loeb Tax Team
WE URGE PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. INCOME, ESTATE AND OTHER TAX CONSIDERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ACQUIRING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF OUR SECURITIES.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for 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, one warrant to acquire one share of our common stock, and one right entitling the holder to receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. 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 warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make their own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult their own tax adviser regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each share of common stock and warrant should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share or warrant, 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 warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the share of common stock and the warrant based on their respective relative fair market values (as determined by each such unit holder on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of shares of common stock and warrants, nor the one right entitling the holder thereof to receive one-eight (1/8) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of our initial business combination comprising units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the shares of common stock and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult their 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.
Personal Holding Company Status
We could be subject to United States federal income tax at rates in excess of those generally applicable to U.S. corporations on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company, or PHC, for United States federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation will generally be classified as a PHC for United States 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 United States 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, it is possible that 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 certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds, and charitable trusts, it is possible that more than 50% of our stock will 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 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 taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.
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U.S. Holders
This section is addressed to U.S. holders of our securities. For purposes of this discussion, you are a “U.S. holder” if you are a beneficial owner of a security that is:
• an individual citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
• a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in, or under the laws of, the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; or
• an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.
Dividends and Distributions
As discussed under “Dividend Policy” above, we do not anticipate that any dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. If we do make distributions on our common stock, such distributions generally will be treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits generally will first reduce your basis in the common stock (but not below zero) and then will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock (as described in the first paragraph under “— Sale or Other Disposition or Conversion of Common Stock” below).
The conversion feature of the common stock described under “Proposed Business — Effecting a Business Combination — Conversion Rights” 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 holding period requirements for the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income with respect to the time period prior to the approval of an initial business combination.
Sale or Other Disposition or Conversion of Common Stock
Gain or loss you realize on the sale or other disposition of our common stock (other than conversion into cash but including a liquidation in the event we do not consummate a business combination within the required time) will be capital gain or loss. The amount of your gain or loss will be equal to the difference between your tax basis in the common stock disposed of and the amount realized on the disposition. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any capital gain or loss you realize on a sale or other disposition of our common stock will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if your holding period for the common stock is more than one year. However, the conversion feature of the common stock described under “Proposed Business — Effecting a Business Combination — Conversion Rights” could affect your ability to satisfy the holding period requirements for the long-term capital gain tax rate with respect to the time period prior to the approval of an initial business combination.
If you convert your common stock into a right to receive cash as described in “Proposed Business — Effecting a Business Combination — Conversion Rights,” the conversion generally will be treated as a sale of common stock described in the preceding paragraph (rather than as a dividend or distribution). The conversion will, however, be treated as a dividend or distribution and taxed as described in “— Dividends and Distributions” above if your percentage ownership in us (including shares that you are deemed to own under certain attribution rules, such as the shares into which the warrants are exercisable) after the conversion is not meaningfully reduced from what your percentage ownership was prior to the conversion. If you have a relatively minimal stock interest and, taking into account the effect of conversion by other stockholders, your percentage ownership in us is reduced as a result of the conversion, you may be regarded as having suffered a meaningful reduction in interest. For example, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction of a minority stockholder’s proportionate interest in a publicly-held corporation may constitute such a “meaningful reduction” in a transaction in which a holder held less than 1% of the shares of a corporation and did not have management control over the corporation.
You should consult your own tax advisor as to whether conversion of your common stock will be treated as a sale or as a dividend under the Code and, if you actually or constructively own 5% (or, if our stock is not then publicly traded, 1%) or more of our common stock before conversion, whether you are subject to special reporting requirements with respect to such conversion.
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Sale or Other Disposition, Exercise or Expiration of Warrants
Upon the sale or other disposition of a warrant (other than by exercise), you will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or other disposition and your tax basis in the warrant. This capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time of the sale or other disposition, the warrant has been held by you for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
In general, you will not be required to recognize income, gain or loss upon exercise of a warrant for its exercise price. Your basis in a share of common stock received upon exercise will be equal to the sum of (1) your basis in the warrant and (2) the exercise price of the warrant. Your holding period in the shares received upon exercise will commence on the day after you exercise the warrants. Although there is no direct legal authority as to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an exercise of a warrant on a cashless basis, we intend to take the position that such exercise will not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a gain realization event or because it qualifies as a tax-free recapitalization. In the former case, the holding period of the common stock should commence on the day after the warrant is exercised. In the latter case, the holding period of the common stock would include the holding period of the exercised warrants. However, our position is not binding on the IRS and the IRS may treat a cashless exercise of a warrant as a taxable exchange. You are urged to consult your own tax advisor as to the consequences of an exercise of a warrant on a cashless basis.
If a warrant expires without being exercised, you will recognize a capital loss in an amount equal to your basis in the warrant. Such loss will be long-term capital loss if, at the time of the expiration, the warrant has been held by you for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Constructive Dividends on Warrants
As discussed under “Dividend Policy” above, we do not anticipate that any dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. If at any time during the period you hold warrants, however, we were to pay a taxable dividend to our stockholders and, in accordance with the anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, the conversion rate of the warrants were increased, that increase would be deemed to be the payment of a taxable dividend to you to the extent of our earnings and profits, notwithstanding the fact that you will not receive a cash payment. If the conversion rate is adjusted in certain other circumstances (or in certain circumstances, there is a failure to make adjustments), such adjustments may also result in the deemed payment of a taxable dividend to you. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the warrants.
Unearned Income Medicare Tax
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will generally apply to all or some portion of the net investment income of a U.S. holder that is an individual with adjusted gross income that exceeds a threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax will also apply to all or some portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain U.S. holders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, dividends and gains from the taxable dispositions of the common stock and warrants will generally be taken into account in computing such a U.S. holder’s net investment income.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information returns may be filed with the IRS with respect to dividends or other distributions we may pay to you and proceeds from the sale of your shares of common stock or warrants. You will be subject to backup withholding on these payments if you fail to provide your taxpayer identification number to the paying agent and comply with certain certification procedures or otherwise establish an exemption from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld with respect to your shares of common stock or warrants under the backup withholding rules will be refunded to you or credited against your United States federal income tax liability, if any, by the IRS provided that certain required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
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Non-U.S. Holders
This section is addressed to non-U.S. holders of the securities. For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, common stock or warrants (other than an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is not a U.S. holder.
Dividends and Distributions
As discussed under “Dividend Policy” above, we do not anticipate that any dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. If, however, we were to pay taxable dividends to you with respect to your shares of common stock (including any deemed distributions treated as a dividend on the warrants, as described in “— Constructive Dividends on Warrants” below), those dividends would generally be subject to United States withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount, unless you are eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and you provide proper certification of your eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E). A distribution generally will constitute a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits as determined under the Code. Any distribution not constituting a dividend generally will be treated first as reducing your basis in your shares of common stock and, to the extent it exceeds your basis, as gain from the disposition of your shares of common stock treated as described under “Sale or Other Disposition of Common Stock or Warrants” below. The full amount of any distributions to you may, however, be subject to United States withholding tax unless the applicable withholding agent elects to withhold a lesser amount based on a reasonable estimate of the amount of the distribution that would be treated as a dividend. In addition, if we determine that we are likely to be classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “Sale or Other Disposition of Common Stock or Warrants” below), we will withhold at least 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits as provided by the Code.
Dividends we pay to you that are effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if certain income tax treaties apply, are attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by you) generally will not be subject to United States withholding tax if you comply with applicable certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, such dividends generally will be subject to United States federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to United States persons. If you are a corporation, effectively connected income may also be subject to a “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Exercise of Warrants
You generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the exercise of the warrants into shares of common stock. However, if a cashless exercise of warrants results in a taxable exchange, as described in “— U.S. Holders — Sale or Other Disposition, Exercise or Expiration of Warrants,” the rules described below under “Sale or Other Disposition of Common Stock or Warrants” would apply.
Sale or Other Disposition of Common Stock or Warrants
You generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of our common stock (which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required timeframe) or warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants), unless:
• the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, under certain income tax treaties, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment you maintain);
• you are an individual, you hold your shares of common stock or warrants as capital assets, you are present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and you meet other conditions, and you are not eligible for relief under an applicable income tax treaty; or
• we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes and, in the case where the shares of our common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, you hold or have held, directly or indirectly, at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding disposition or your holding period for your shares of common stock or warrants, more
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than 5% of our common stock. Special rules may apply to the determination of the 5% threshold in the case of a holder of a warrant. You are urged to consult your own tax advisors regarding the effect of holding the warrants on the calculation of such 5% threshold. 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.
Gain that is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business within the United States generally will be subject to United States federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same rates applicable to United States persons. If you are a corporation, the branch profits tax also may apply to such effectively connected gain. If the gain from the sale or disposition of your shares of common stock or warrants is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States but under an applicable income tax treaty is not attributable to a permanent establishment you maintain in the United States, your gain may be exempt from United States tax under the treaty. If you are described in the second bullet point above, you generally will be subject to United States federal income tax at a rate of 30% on the gain realized, although the gain may be offset by some United States source capital losses realized during the same taxable year. If you are described in the third bullet point above, gain recognized by you on the sale, exchange or other disposition of shares of common stock or warrants will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at normal graduated U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of your shares of common stock or warrants may be required to withhold United States income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition.
If you convert your common stock into a right to receive cash as described in “Proposed Business — Effecting a Business Combination — Conversion Rights,” the conversion generally will be treated as a sale of common stock rather than as a dividend or distribution. The conversion will, however, be treated as a dividend or distribution and taxed as described in “Dividends and Distributions” if your percentage ownership in us (including shares that you are deemed to own under certain attribution rules, such as the shares into which the warrants are exercisable) after the conversion is not meaningfully reduced from what your percentage ownership was prior to the conversion. See the discussion in “— U.S. Holders — Sale or Other Disposition or Conversion of Common Stock.” You should consult your own tax advisor as to whether conversion of your common stock will be treated as a sale or as a dividend under the Code.
Constructive Dividends on Warrants
As discussed under “Dividend Policy” above, we do not anticipate that any dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. If at any time during the period you hold warrants, however, we were to pay a taxable dividend to our stockholders and, in accordance with the anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, the conversion rate of the warrants were increased, that increase would be deemed to be the payment of a taxable dividend to you to the extent of our earnings and profits, notwithstanding the fact that you will not receive a cash payment. If the conversion rate is adjusted in certain other circumstances (or in certain circumstances, there is a failure to make adjustments), such adjustments may also result in the deemed payment of a taxable dividend to you. Any resulting withholding tax attributable to deemed dividends would be collected from other amounts payable or distributable to you. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the warrants.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends or other distributions we may pay to you on your shares of common stock and the amount of tax we withhold on any such distributions regardless of whether withholding is required. The IRS may make copies of the information returns reporting those dividends and amounts withheld available to the tax authorities in the country in which you reside pursuant to the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or exchange of information treaty.
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The United States imposes backup withholding on dividends and certain other types of payments to United States persons. You will not be subject to backup withholding on dividends you receive on your shares of common stock if you provide proper certification (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E) of your status as a non-United States person or you are a corporation or one of several types of entities and organizations that qualify for exemption (an “exempt recipient”).
Information reporting and backup withholding generally are not required with respect to the amount of any proceeds from the sale of your shares of common stock or warrants outside the United States through a foreign office of a foreign broker that does not have certain specified connections to the United States. However, if you sell your shares of common stock or warrants through a United States broker or the United States office of a foreign broker, the broker will be required to report to the IRS the amount of proceeds paid to you unless you provide appropriate certification (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E) to the broker of your status as a non-United States person or you are an exempt recipient. Information reporting also would apply if you sell your shares of common stock or warrants through a foreign broker deriving more than a specified percentage of its income from United States sources or having certain other connections to the United States.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld with respect to your shares of common stock or warrants under the backup withholding rules will be refunded to you or credited against your United States federal income tax liability, if any, by the IRS provided that certain required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
Estate Tax
Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a citizen or resident (as defined for United States federal estate tax purposes) of the United States at the time of his or her death, or by an entity the property of which is potentially includible in such an individual’s gross estate, will be included in the individual’s gross estate for United States federal estate tax purposes and therefore may be subject to United States federal estate tax unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise. The foregoing may also apply to warrants.
Unearned Income Medicare Tax
If you are a foreign estate or trust, you may be subject to the Medicare contribution tax described under “U.S. Holders — Unearned Income Medicare Tax” above. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of the Medicare contribution tax on their investments in the units.
FATCA
A 30% withholding tax will be imposed on payments to certain foreign entities of U.S.-source dividends, 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 has otherwise been established. Such withholding was scheduled to apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property that produces U.S.-source interest or dividends beginning on January 1, 2019, but the IRS released proposed regulations that, if finalized in their proposed form, would eliminate the obligation to withhold on gross proceeds. Such proposed regulations also delayed withholding on certain other payments received from other foreign financial institutions that are allocable, as provided for under final Treasury Regulations, to payments of U.S.-source dividends, and other fixed or determinable annual or periodic income. Although these proposed Treasury Regulations are not final, taxpayers generally may rely on them until final Treasury Regulations are issued. Potential investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this withholding tax on their investment in our securities.
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We are offering the units described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. D. Boral Capital, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, is acting as representative of the underwriters. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, the number of units listed next to each of its name in the following table:
|
Underwriter |
Number of |
|
|
D. Boral Capital, LLC |
|
|
|
Total |
25,000,000 |
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must buy all of the units if they buy any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to purchase the units covered by the option to purchase additional units as described below.
Our units are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:
• receipt and acceptance of our units by the underwriters; and
• the underwriters’ right to reject orders in whole or in part.
In connection with this offering, the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Option To Purchase Additional Units
We have granted the underwriters an over-allotment option to buy up to an aggregate of 3,750,000 additional units. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
Underwriting Discount
Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any units sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $ per unit from the initial public offering price and the dealers may reallow a concession not in excess of $ per unit to other dealers. Sales of units made outside of the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriters. After completion of this offering, if the underwriters still hold any units sold by us to them in this offering, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein.
The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting discount we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional units.
|
No Exercise |
Full Exercise |
||||
|
Per Unit(1) |
$ |
0.06 |
0.06 |
||
|
Total |
$ |
1,500,000 |
1,725,000 |
||
____________
(1) Includes $0.06 per unit or $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to D. Boral Capital.
We have also agreed to pay all expenses relating to the offering, including actual accountable expenses of the representative not to exceed $100,000, which amount includes expenses for the representative’s legal counsel, road show expenses, and all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Company, with the exception of the NASDAQ listing fees, the cost of which D. Boral Capital has agreed to reimburse the Company. In the event there is no closing, we have agreed to pay the representative all expenses relating to the offering, including actual accountable expenses of the representative not to exceed $75,000.
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, not including the underwriting discount, will be approximately $[__________].
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Representative’s Private Placement Warrants
Representative will receive one percent (1.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds of the offering in the form of Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant.
Rights of First Refusal
If, from the consummation of an initial business combination to twelve months thereafter, the Company determines to pursue any public or private equity offering, including any equity-linked financing (such as a forward purchase arrangement or similar type of equity line financing), then the representative shall have the right, but not the obligation, to act as lead underwriter, placement agent, book running manager or arranger, as the case may be, in connection with that financing.
Tail
Unless the engagement is terminated by the Company for any reason other than representative’s failure to proceed with preparations for the offering in good faith, if within twelve (12) months following the termination date of the engagement and/or the closing, if the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked or debt or other capital raising activity for itself or any other SPAC (other than the exercise by any person or entity of any options, warrants or other convertible securities) with any of the investors contacted by the representative during the engagement period, then the Company will pay to representative upon the closing of such financing $1,500,000.
Company Lock-Up Agreement
The Company will be subject to a lock-up period of 180 days following the closing of this offering during which it will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or caused to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (iii) provide a forward purchase arrangement or similar type of equity line financing in connection with a Business Combination; (iv) complete any offering of debt securities of the Company, other than entering into a line of credit with a traditional bank or (iv) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we have agreed to contribute to payments the underwriter may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
NASDAQ Listing
We have applied to have our units listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “_______U” and, once the common stock, warrants and rights begin separate trading, under the symbols “_______,” “_______W” and “_______R,” respectively.
Price Stabilization, Short Positions
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of units during and after this offering, including:
• stabilizing transactions;
• short sales;
• purchases to cover positions created by short sales;
• imposition of penalty bids; and
• syndicate covering transactions.
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Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units while this offering is in progress. Stabilization transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. These transactions may also include making short sales of our units, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of units than they are required to purchase in this offering and purchasing units on the open market to cover short positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of that amount.
The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option, in whole or in part, or by purchasing units in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the over-allotment option.
Naked short sales are short sales made in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the representative of the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representative has repurchased units sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.
These stabilizing transactions, short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales, the imposition of penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units. As a result of these activities, the price of our units may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on NASDAQ, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the units. Neither we, nor the underwriters, make any representation that the underwriter will engage in these stabilization transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
Determination of Offering Price
Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our units. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiation between us and the representative of the underwriters. The principal factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price include:
• the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to the representative;
• our history and prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete;
• our past and present financial performance;
• our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our development;
• the general condition of the securities market at the time of this offering;
• the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded units of generally comparable companies; and
• other factors deemed relevant by the underwriters and us.
Neither we nor the underwriters can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for our units, warrants or common stock or that the units will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price.
Affiliations
D. Boral Capital and its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. D. Boral Capital and its affiliates may from time to time in the future engage with us and perform services for us or in the ordinary course of their business
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for which they will receive customary fees and expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of us. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of these securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in these securities and instruments.
Additional Future Arrangements
Except as set forth above, we are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering and have no present intent to do so. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to any underwriter prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the Internet sites or through other online services maintained by the underwriters participating in this offering, or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and, depending upon the particular underwriter, prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of units for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
Resale Restrictions
We intend to distribute our securities in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Offering Jurisdiction”) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a “reporting issuer”, as such term is defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
A Canadian purchaser will be required to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
• the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws;
• where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent;
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• the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and
• the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information.
Rights of Action — Ontario Purchasers Only
Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
A majority of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Collection of Personal Information
If a Canadian purchaser is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSC’s indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 5520, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416) 593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”) and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
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The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “relevant member state”), with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that relevant member state (the “relevant implementation date”), an offer of units described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that relevant member state prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units that has been approved by the competent authority in that relevant member state or, where appropriate, approved in another relevant member state and notified to the competent authority in that relevant member state, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that, with effect from and including the relevant implementation date, an offer of our units may be made to the public in that relevant member state at any time:
• to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;
• to fewer than 100, or, if the relevant member state has implemented the relevant provisions of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by the issuer for any such offer; or natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined below) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter for any such offer; or
• in any other circumstances that do not require the publication by us of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
Each purchaser of units described in this prospectus located within a relevant member state will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a “qualified investor” within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purpose of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the units, as the expression may be varied in that member state by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that member state, and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the PD 2010 Amending Directive to the extent implemented by the relevant member state) and includes any relevant implementing measure in each relevant member state, and the expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the units as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the units, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the units on behalf of us or the underwriters.
121
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the shares have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as a “relevant person”). The units are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase or otherwise acquire such units will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
Notice to Prospective Investors in France
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers or by the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The units have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the units has been or will be:
• 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 investors (investisseurs qualifiés) and/or to a restricted circle of investors (cercle restraint d’investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with, Article L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier;
• to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or
• in a transaction that, in accordance with article L.411-2-II-1°-or-2°-or 3° of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations (Règlement Général) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, does not constitute a public offer (appel public à l’épargne).
The units may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier.
122
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The units may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.
Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person that is:
• a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 14A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, or
• a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
• 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 S$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.
123
Loeb & Loeb LLP is acting as our counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this offering. Lucosky Brookman LLP advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.
The financial statements of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II at November 30, 2024 and for the period from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024 included in this prospectus have been audited by MaloneBailey, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II 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 on such report given upon such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement 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 effectiveness of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
124
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) as of November 30, 2024, and the related statements of operations, stockholder’s deficit, and cash flows for the period from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024, 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 November 30, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern Matter
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered losses from operations and has a net capital deficiency that raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ MaloneBailey, LLP
www.malonebailey.com
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
Houston, Texas
January 17, 2025
F-2
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
BALANCE SHEET
AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2024
|
ASSETS |
|
|
||
|
Deferred offering costs |
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS |
$ |
15,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT |
|
|
||
|
CURRENT LIABILITIES |
|
|
||
|
Accrued expenses |
$ |
1,275 |
|
|
|
Promissory note – related party |
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES |
|
16,275 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Commitments and contingencies (Note 5) |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT |
|
|
||
|
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
|
— |
|
|
|
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, 12,321,429 shares issued and outstanding as of November 30, 2024(1) |
|
1,232 |
|
|
|
Stock subscription receivable |
|
(25,000 |
) |
|
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
23,768 |
|
|
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
(1,275 |
) |
|
|
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT |
|
(1,275 |
) |
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT |
$ |
15,000 |
|
____________
(1) This number includes an aggregate of 1,607,143 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the initial stockholder to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. (Note 6)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2024 (INCEPTION) THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2024
|
General, formation and operational costs |
$ |
1,275 |
|
|
|
Net loss |
$ |
(1,275 |
) |
|
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) |
|
10,714,286 |
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per common stock |
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
____________
(1) Excludes an aggregate of 1,607,143 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the initial stockholder to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. (Note 6)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT
FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2024 (INCEPTION) THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2024
|
|
Stock |
Additional |
Accumulated |
Total |
||||||||||||||||
|
Shares |
Amount |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Balance at November 26, 2024 (Inception) |
— |
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
||||||
|
Common stock issued to initial stockholder(1) |
12,321,429 |
|
1,232 |
|
(25,000 |
) |
|
23,768 |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||||||
|
Net loss |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
(1,275 |
) |
|
(1,275 |
) |
||||||
|
Balance at November 30, 2024 |
12,321,429 |
$ |
1,232 |
$ |
(25,000 |
) |
$ |
23,768 |
$ |
(1,275 |
) |
$ |
(1,275 |
) |
||||||
____________
(1) This number includes an aggregate of 1,607,143 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the initial stockholder to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. (Note 6)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2024 (INCEPTION) THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2024
|
Cash flow from operating activities: |
|
|
||
|
Net loss |
$ |
(1,275 |
) |
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
||
|
Changes in current assets and liabilities: |
|
|
||
|
Accrued expenses |
|
1,275 |
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Net Change in Cash |
|
— |
|
|
|
Cash at beginning of period |
|
— |
|
|
|
Cash at end of period |
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities: |
|
|
||
|
Payment of offering costs by the Sponsor |
$ |
15,000 |
|
|
|
Common stock issued in exchange for subscription stock receivable |
$ |
25,000 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 1 — Organization, Plan of Business Operations and Going Concern Consideration
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on November 26, 2024 as a blank check company for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination, one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”). The Company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region although it intends to initially focus on target companies within the media and entertainment industry with a primary focus on the United States, and in particular on identifying attractive targets among content studios and film production, family entertainment, animation, music, gaming, e-sports, talent management, and talent-facing brands and businesses.
As of November 30, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed public offering described below. The Company has selected November 30 as its fiscal year-end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of up to 25,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (“Units”), which is discussed in Note 3 (“Proposed Public Offering”). Simultaneously with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC (the “Sponsor”) will commit that it and/or its designees will purchase 4,580,000 warrants in a private placement at a price of $1.00 per warrant for an aggregate purchase price of $4,580,000 (or 4,805,000 private warrants for an aggregate purchase price of $4,805,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (“Private Warrants”). All of the proceeds the Company receives from the sale of Private Warrants will be used to fund operating expenses prior to a potential merger transaction and will not be placed in the trust account described below. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the sale of Private Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company intends to apply to have the Units listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (“NASDAQ”). Pursuant to the NASDAQ listing rules, the Company’s initial Business Combination must be with a target business or businesses whose collective fair market value is at least equal to 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such Business Combination (net of taxes payable and deferred underwriting commissions), although this may entail simultaneous acquisitions of several target businesses. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to effect a Business Combination successfully.
Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that certain of the proceeds from the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, will be held in a United States-based trust account (“Trust Account”) and held as cash items or invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes, having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act until the earlier of (i) the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination (ii) the redemption of any shares of common stock included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering that have been properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of such shares of common stock if it does not complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering; and (iii) the Company’s failure to consummate a Business Combination within the prescribed time. If the Company is unable to consummate an initial business combination within such time period, the Company will redeem 100% of its outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to the Company for taxes (and less up to $100,000 of interest which can be used for liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate. Placing funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company. Although the Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities it engages, execute agreements with the Company waiving any claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, there is no guarantee that such persons will execute such agreements.
F-7
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 1 — Organization, Plan of Business Operations and Going Concern Consideration (cont.)
The remaining net proceeds (not held in the Trust Account) may be used to pay for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses. Additionally, certain interest earned on the Trust Account balance may be released to the Company to pay the Company’s tax obligations.
The Company, after signing a definitive agreement for the acquisition of a target business, is required to provide stockholders who acquired shares of common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (“Public Shares”) in the Proposed Public Offering (“Public Stockholders”) with the opportunity to convert their Public Shares for a pro rata share of the Trust Account. The holders of the Founder Shares will agree to vote any shares they then hold in favor of any proposed Business Combination and will waive any conversion rights with respect to these shares pursuant to letter agreements to be executed prior to the Proposed Public Offering.
In connection with any proposed Business Combination, the Company will seek stockholder approval of an initial Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which Public Stockholders may seek to convert their Public Shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed Business Combination. Alternatively, the Company may conduct a tender offer and allow conversions in connection therewith. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of an initial Business Combination, any Public Stockholder voting either for or against such proposed Business Combination or not voting at all will be entitled to demand that his Public Shares be converted into a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company or necessary to pay its taxes). Holders of warrants sold as part of the Units will not be entitled to vote on the Proposed Business Combination and will have no conversion or liquidation rights with respect to the shares of common stock underlying such warrants.
If the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination and expends all of the net proceeds from the sale of the Private Warrants not deposited in the Trust Account, without taking into account any interest earned on the Trust Account, the Company expects that the initial per-share redemption price for common stock will be $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could, however, become subject to claims of the Company’s creditors that are in preference to the claims of the Company’s stockholders. In addition, if the Company is forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against it that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in its bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of the Company’s common stockholders. Therefore, the actual per-share redemption price may be less than approximately $10.00.
Going Concern Consideration
As of November 30, 2024, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficit of $16,275 (excluding deferred offering costs). 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 as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
The United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions
F-8
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 1 — Organization, Plan of Business Operations and Going Concern Consideration (cont.)
among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the above-mentioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect the Company’s search for an initial Business Combination and any target business with which the Company may ultimately consummate an initial Business Combination.
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the 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 accountant 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 revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the
F-9
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near-term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. As of November 30, 2024, there were no cash or cash equivalents.
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.
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 statements 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 deemed to be de minimus at November 30, 2024.
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 periods, disclosure and transition. The Company is required to file income tax returns in the United States (federal) and in various state and local jurisdictions. 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. Since the Company was incorporated on November 26, 2024, the evaluation was performed for the upcoming 2025 tax year, which will be the only period subject to examination. The Company believes that its income tax positions and deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material change to its financial position.
The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such expense as a component of income tax expense. There were no amounts accrued for penalties or interest as of November 30, 2024. Management is currently unaware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviations from its position.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be de minimis for the for the period from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024.
Net Loss per Common stock
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding shares of common stock subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 1,607,143 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 6). At November 30, 2024, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
F-10
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering”. Deferred offering costs consist 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 stockholders’ 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 to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Redeemable Share Classification
The Company’s common stock that will be sold as part of the Units in the Proposed Public Offering (“public common stock”) contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, or if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in connection with the Company’s initial business combination. In accordance with ASC 480-10-S99, the Company classifies public common stock subject to redemption outside of permanent equity as the redemption provisions are not solely within the control of the Company. The public common stock sold as part of the Units in the Proposed Public Offering will be issued with other freestanding instruments (i.e., Public Warrants) and as such, the initial carrying value of public common stock classified as temporary equity will be the allocated proceeds determined in accordance with ASC 470-20. The public common stock are subject to ASC 480-10-S99 and are currently not redeemable as the redemption is contingent upon the occurrence of events mentioned above. According to ASC 480-10-S99-15, no subsequent adjustment is needed if it is not probable that the instrument will become redeemable.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. Derivative instruments are initially recorded at fair value on the grant date and re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statement of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative assets and liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement or conversion of the instruments could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.
The over-allotment option is deemed to be a freestanding financial instrument indexed on the contingently redeemable shares and will be accounted for as a liability pursuant to ASC 480.
Warrant Instruments
The Company will account for the Public Warrants and Private Warrants to be issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering and the private placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC Topic 815 “Derivatives and Hedging”, whereby under that provision, the warrants that do not meet the criteria for equity treatment must be recorded as liability. Accordingly, the Company evaluated and will classify the warrant instrument under equity treatment at its assigned value. There are no Public or Private Warrants currently outstanding as of November 30, 2024.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
F-11
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
The Proposed Public Offering calls for the Company to offer for public sale up to 25,000,000 Units at a proposed offering price of $10.00 per Unit. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, one-half redeemable warrant (the “Warrants”), and one right to one-eighth (1/8) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, so you must hold rights in multiples of 8 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a combination. Each Warrant offered in the Proposed Public Offering is exercisable to purchase one share of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $11.50.
Each Warrant will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination and will expire the earlier to occur of (i) five years after the completion of the Company’s Business Combination, (ii) the redemption date and (iii) the liquidation of the Trust Account. However, if the Company does not complete its initial Business Combination on or prior to the 24 month period allotted to complete the Business Combination, the Warrants will expire at the end of such period. If the Company is unable to deliver registered shares of common stock to the holder upon exercise of the Warrants during the exercise period, there will be no net cash settlement of these Warrants and the Warrants will expire worthless, unless they may be exercised on a cashless basis in the circumstances described in the warrant agreement. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.01 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, only in the event that the last sale price of the Company’s shares of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period commencing at any time after the shares underlying the warrants have become exercisable and ending on the third trading day before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
Note 4 — Private Placement Warrants
The Sponsor will commit to purchase 4,580,000 Private Warrants (or 4,805,000 Private Warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,580,000 (or $4,805,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) from the Company. These purchases will take place simultaneously with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. All of the proceeds received from the sale of the Private Warrants will be used to fund operating costs of the Company in advance of a Business Combination and will not be placed in the Trust Account. The Private Warrants will be identical to the warrants sold as a part of the Units being offered in the Proposed Public Offering. The holders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Warrants or underlying securities (except to certain permitted transferees) until the completion of the initial Business Combination.
Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founders Shares issued and outstanding, as well as the holders of the private warrants and any warrants the initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to the Company (and all underlying securities), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that the Company register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Founders Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private warrants and warrants issued to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to the Company (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after the Company consummates a Business Combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary,
F-12
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies (cont.)
D. Boral Capital may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination; provided, however, that D. Boral Capital may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 0.60% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $1,500,000 (or up to $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
Note 6 — Related Party Transactions
Founder’s Shares
On November 29, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate of 12,321,429 shares of common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. As of November 30, 2024, the $25,000 had not been received for the issuance of the Founder Shares and it is presented as a subscription receivable on the equity statement. Subsequently on December 27, 2024, the Company received the $25,000 for the Founder Shares. The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 1,607,143 shares subject to forfeiture by the holders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the holders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of the Founder Shares will agree not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (i) 180 days after the completion of a Business and (ii) if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On November 29, 2024, the Company entered into a promissory note with the Sponsor in which the Sponsor may loan the Company up to $300,000. The promissory note is non-interest bearing, and due the earlier of June 30, 2025 or the date with the Company consummates the Proposed Public Offering. As of November 30, 2024, the Company owes $15,000 under the promissory note.
Administrative Service Agreement
The Company presently occupies office space provided by an entity controlled by Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC. Such entity will agree that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will make such office space, as well as general and administrative services including utilities and administrative support, available to the Company as may be required by the Company from time to time. The Company will agree to pay $50,000 per month to our sponsor to cover, among other things, costs of office space and shared personnel support, certain PR, administrative, support and other services, and potential compensation payable to officers of, and consultants to, the sponsor (including, but not limited to, individuals who are officers of both our sponsor and the Company, such as up to $45,000 per month to our Chief Executive Officer) for assistance with our search for a target business. We will cease paying these monthly fees 24 months from the date of the close of this offering.
F-13
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 6 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
Working Capital Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Stockholders, the Sponsor, the Company’s officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds from time to time or at any time, as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Each Working Capital 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 holder’s discretion, if there are excess proceeds, upon consummation of this offering. 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. These loans would be repaid at completion of the initial Business Combination. As of November 30, 2024, no Working Capital Loans were outstanding.
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred Stock
The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of November 30, 2024, there are no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of November 30, 2024, 12,321,429 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. The issued and outstanding shares includes 1,607,143 of which are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full so that the holders of the Founder Shares will represent approximately 20% of the issued and outstanding common stock after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). All of these shares will be placed into an escrow account on the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Subject to certain limited exceptions, these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold, or released from escrow for a period ending on the 180-day anniversary of the date of the consummation of the initial business combination, or earlier if, subsequent to the initial business combination, the Company consummates a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Rights
Each holder of a right will receive one-eighth (1/8) of one share of common stock upon consummation of a Business Combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all shares held by it in connection with a Business Combination. No fractional shares will be issued upon exchange of the rights. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of a Business Combination as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Proposed Public Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the shares of common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive one-eighth (1/8) of one share underlying each right (without paying additional consideration).
Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
F-14
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity (cont.)
Warrants
Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable commencing on the later of: (i) one (1) year after the date that the registration statement for the Offering is declared effective by the SEC and (ii) the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act). The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, after the closing of the Business Combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the Public Warrants in accordance with the provisions of the public warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company’s common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under the Securities Act, the Company, at its option, may require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of the Business Combination or earlier upon the Company’s redemption or liquidation.
The Company may redeem the Public Warrants:
• in whole and not in part;
• at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
• upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and
• if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at any time after the shares underlying the warrants have become exercisable and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
The Company will not redeem the Public Warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. Any such exercise would not be on a cashless basis and would require the exercising warrant holder to pay the exercise price for each Public Warrant being exercised.
The Warrants to be issued in the Private Placement (“Private Placement Warrants”) will be identical to the Public Warrants, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions.
In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless. As of November 30, 2024, there were no warrants outstanding.
Note 9 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date the financial statements were issued. Based on this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
F-15
25,000,000 Units
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
______________________________
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
_______________________________
Book-Running Manager
|
D. Boral Capital |
Until , 2025 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 13. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
|
SEC/FINRA expenses |
$ |
90,000 |
|
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
130,000 |
|
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
Legal fees and expenses |
|
425,000 |
|
|
Stock exchange listing and filing fees |
|
85,000 |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
|
100,000 |
|
|
Total |
$ |
880,000 |
ITEM 14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that all directors, officers, employees and agents of the registrant shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.
“Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.
(a) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.
(b) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
II-1
(c) To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.
(d) Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this section (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the stockholders.
(e) Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.
(f) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.
(g) A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this section.
(h) For purposes of this section, references to “the corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this section with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(i) For purposes of this section, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this section.
(j) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
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(k) The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporation’s obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees).”
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under 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 its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the 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.
Paragraph B of Article Eighth of our certificate of incorporation provides:
“The Corporation, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the GCL, as amended from time to time, shall indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which such officer or director may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized hereby.”
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the Underwriter and the Underwriter 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.
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 Delaware 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.
ITEM 15. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.
(a) During the past three years, we sold the following shares of common stock without registration under the Securities Act:
|
Stockholders |
Number of |
|
|
Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC |
12,321,429 |
Such shares were issued in November 2024 in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as the shares were sold to an accredited investor. The shares issued were sold for an aggregate offering price of $25,000 at an average purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share.
The Company’s sponsor has also committed that it and/or its designees will purchase 4,580,000 private warrants (or up to 4,805,000 private units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) for $1.00 per private warrant or $4,580,000 (or up to $4,805,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public 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 paid with respect to such sales.
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ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
|
Exhibit No. |
Description |
|
|
1.1* |
Form of Underwriting Agreement. |
|
|
3.1 |
||
|
3.2 |
||
|
3.3 |
||
|
4.1 |
||
|
4.2 |
||
|
4.3 |
||
|
4.4 |
||
|
4.5 |
Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
|
|
4.6 |
Form of Rights Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
|
|
5.1* |
Opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP. |
|
|
10.1 |
Form of Letter Agreement from each of the Registrant’s officers, directors and initial stockholders. |
|
|
10.2 |
||
|
10.3 |
||
|
10.4 |
||
|
10.5.1 |
Form of Subscription Agreement for private warrants by initial stockholders. |
|
|
10.5.2* |
Form of Subscription Agreement for private warrants by D. Boral Capital. |
|
|
10.6 |
||
|
10.7 |
||
|
10.8 |
||
|
10.9 |
Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC Founder Shares. |
|
|
14 |
||
|
23.1 |
||
|
23.2* |
Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). |
|
|
23.3 |
||
|
23.4 |
||
|
23.5 |
||
|
24 |
Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement). |
|
|
99.1 |
||
|
99.2 |
||
|
99.3 |
||
|
107 |
____________
+ Previously filed.
* To be filed.
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i. To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
ii. To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
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the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
iii. To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on the 17th day of January, 2025.
|
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II |
||||
|
By: |
/s/ Jose Bengochea |
|||
|
Name: |
Jose A. Bengochea |
|||
|
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
|||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jose Bengochea his/her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including pre- and post-effective amendments to this registration statement, any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Name |
Position |
Date |
||
|
/s/ Jose Bengochea |
Chief Executive Officer |
January 17, 2025 |
||
|
Jose Bengochea |
(Principal Executive Officer) and Chairman of the Board |
|||
|
/s/ William Caragol |
Chief Financial Officer and Director |
January 17, 2025 |
||
|
William Caragol |
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
|||
|
/s/ Tarron Hecox |
Director |
January 17, 2025 |
||
|
Tarron Hecox |
||||
|
/s/ Melissa Escobar |
Director |
January 17, 2025 |
||
|
Melissa Escobar |
||||
|
/s/ Constantino Mendieta |
Director |
January 17, 2025 |
||
|
Dr. Constantino Mendieta |
II-6
Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
Pursuant to Section 102 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law
I, the undersigned, in order to form a corporation for the purposes hereinafter stated, under and pursuant to the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “GCL”), do hereby certify as follows:
First: The name of the corporation is Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”),
Second: The registered office of the Corporation is to be located at c/o The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, New Castle County Wilmington, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.
Third: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the GCL.
Fourth: The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 51,000,000 of which 50,000,000 shares shall be Common Stock of the par value of $.0001 per share and 1,000,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock of the par value of $.0001 per share.
A. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors is expressly granted authority to issue shares of the Preferred Stock, in one or more series, and to fix for each such series such voting powers, full or limited, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issue of such series (a “Preferred Stock Designation”) and as may be permitted by the GCL. The number of authorized shares of Preferred 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 voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to any Preferred Stock Designation.
B. Common Stock. Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any Preferred Stock Designation, the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power and each share of Common Stock shall have one vote.
Fifth: The name and mailing address of the sole incorporator of the Corporation are as follows:
| Name | Address |
| Jose A. Bengochea | c/o Quidem LLC |
| 851 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 230 | |
| Boca Raton, FL 33487 |
Sixth: The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes: Class A, Class B and Class C. The number of directors in each class shall be as nearly equal as possible. At the first election of directors by the incorporator, the incorporator shall elect a Class C director for a term expiring at the Corporation’s third Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Class C director shall then appoint additional Class A, Class B and Class C directors, as necessary. The directors in Class A shall be elected for a term expiring at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the directors in Class B shall be elected for a term expiring at the second Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the directors in Class C shall be elected for a term expiring at the third Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Commencing at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and at each annual meeting thereafter, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Except as the GCL may otherwise require, in the interim between annual meetings of stockholders or special meetings of stockholders called for the election of directors and/or the removal of one or more directors and the filling of any vacancy in that connection, newly created directorships and any vacancies in the Board of Directors, including unfilled vacancies resulting from the removal of directors for cause, may be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, although less than a quorum (as defined in the Corporation’s bylaws), or by the sole remaining director. All directors shall hold office until the expiration of their respective terms of office and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. A director elected to fill a vacancy resulting from the death, resignation or removal of a director shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the director whose death, resignation or removal shall have created such vacancy and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.
Seventh: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:
A. Election of directors need not be by ballot unless the bylaws of the Corporation so provide.
B. The Board of Directors shall have the power, without the assent or vote of the stockholders, to make, alter, amend, change, add to or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation as provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.
C. The directors in their discretion may submit any contract or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or act that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation which is represented in person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in person or by proxy) shall be as valid and binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack because of directors’ interests, or for any other reason.
D. In addition to the powers and authorities hereinbefore or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation; subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the statutes of Delaware, of this Certificate of Incorporation, and to any bylaws from time to time made by the stockholders; provided, however, that no by-law so made shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such by-law had not been made.
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Eighth: A. A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the GCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the GCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the GCL, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph A by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation with respect to events occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.
B. The Corporation, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the GCL, as amended from time to time, shall indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which such officer or director may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized hereby.
Ninth: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation.
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Tenth: A. Subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, and unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Amended and Restated Certificate or the By-Laws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the provisions of this Section A will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and (ii) unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
B. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of Section A immediately above is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce Section A immediately above (an “Foreign Enforcement Action”) and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such Foreign Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.
C. If any provision or provisions of this Article TENTH shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article TENTH (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article TENTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article TENTH.
D. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article TENTH.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this Certificate of Incorporation this 25th day of November, 2024.
| /s/ Jose A. Bengochea | |
| Jose A. Bengochea, Sole Incorporator |
4
Exhibit 3.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Pursuant to Section 242 and 245 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, by its Chief Executive Officer, hereby certifies as follows:
1. The name of the corporation is Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”).
2. The Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 25, 2024.
3. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates, integrates and amends the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.
4. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the written consent of the directors and stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 141(f), 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
5. The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended and restated to read in full as follows:
FIRST: The name of the corporation is Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”).
SECOND: The registered office of the Corporation is to be located at c/o The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, New Castle County Wilmington, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.
THIRD: The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 251,000,000 of which 50,000,000 shares shall be Common Stock of the par value of $0.0001 per share and 1,000,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock of the par value of $0.0001 per share.
A. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors is expressly granted authority to issue shares of the Preferred Stock, in one or more series, and to fix for each such series such voting powers, full or limited, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issue of such series (a “Preferred Stock Designation”) and as may be permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “GCL”). The number of authorized shares of Preferred 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 voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to any Preferred Stock Designation.
B. Common Stock. Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any Preferred Stock Designation, the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power and each share of Common Stock shall have one vote.
FOURTH: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the GCL.
FIFTH: The name and mailing address of the sole incorporator of the Corporation are as follows: ________________________________________________________.
SIXTH: This Article Sixth shall apply during the period commencing upon the filing of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and terminating upon the consummation of any “Business Combination” (as defined below). A “Business Combination” shall mean any merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination involving the Corporation and one or more businesses or entities (“Target Business”), or entering into contractual arrangements that give the Corporation control over such a Target Business, and, if the Corporation is then listed on the Nasdaq Global Market or another national securities exchange, the Target Business has a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Fund (as defined below), less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned, at the time of signing a definitive agreement with respect to the initial Business Combination. “IPO Shares” shall mean the shares sold pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in connection with the Corporation’s initial public offering (the “IPO”).
A. Prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Corporation shall either (i) submit any Business Combination to its holders of Common Stock for approval (“Proxy Solicitation”) pursuant to the proxy rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), or (ii) provide its holders of IPO Shares with the opportunity to sell their shares to the Corporation by means of a tender offer (“Tender Offer”).
B. If the Corporation engages in a Proxy Solicitation with respect to a Business Combination, the Corporation will consummate the Business Combination only if a majority of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock present and entitled to vote at the meeting to approve the Business Combination are voted for the approval of such Business Combination.
C. In the event that a Business Combination is consummated by the Corporation or the Corporation holds a vote of its stockholders to amend this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, any holder of IPO Shares who (i) voted on the proposal to approve such Business Combination or amend this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, whether such holder voted in favor or against such Business Combination or amendment, and followed the procedures contained in the proxy materials to perfect the holder’s right to convert the holder’s IPO Shares into cash, if any, or (ii) tendered the holder’s IPO Shares as specified in the tender offer materials therefore, shall be entitled to receive the Conversion Price (as defined below) in exchange for the holder’s IPO Shares. The Corporation shall, promptly after consummation of the Business Combination or the filing of the amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, convert such shares into cash at a per share price equal to the quotient determined by dividing (i) the amount then held in the Trust Fund (as defined below) plus interest earned, less any interest released to pay income taxes owed on such funds but not yet paid, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination or the filing of the amendment, as applicable, by (ii) the total number of IPO Shares then outstanding (such price being referred to as the “Conversion Price”). “Trust Fund” shall mean the trust account established by the Corporation at the consummation of its IPO and into which the amount specified in the Registration Statement is deposited. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a holder of IPO Shares, together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert or as a “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) (“Group”) with, will be restricted from demanding conversion in connection with a proposed Business Combination with respect to 20.0% or more of the IPO Shares. Accordingly, all IPO Shares beneficially owned by such holder or any other person with whom such holder is acting in concert or as a Group with in excess of 20.0% or more of the IPO Shares will remain outstanding following consummation of such Business Combination in the name of the stockholder and not be converted.
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D. The Corporation has twelve months from the closing of its IPO to consummate its initial Business Combination (“Combination Period”). If the Corporation anticipates that it may not be able to consummate its initial Business Combination within twelve months from the closing of its IPO, the Corporation may, but is not obligated to, extend Combination Period up to two times by an additional three months each time for a total of up to eighteen months by depositing $199,800, or $229,770 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option, as described in the Registration Statement, is exercised in full, in connection with each such extension into the Corporation’s trust account (the “Paid Extension Period”). In the event that the Corporation does not consummate a Business Combination by (i) twelve months from the consummation of the IPO or (ii) up to eighteen months from the consummation of the IPO if the Corporation elects to extend the amount of time to complete a Business Combination in accordance with the terms of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between the Corporation and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (in any case, such date being referred to as the “Termination Date”), the Corporation shall (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter redeem 100% of the IPO Shares for cash for a redemption price per share as described below (which redemption will completely extinguish such holders’ 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 approval of the Corporation’s then stockholders and subject to the requirements of the GCL, including the adoption of a resolution by the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 275(a) of the GCL finding the dissolution of the Corporation advisable and the provision of such notices as are required by said Section 275(a) of the GCL, dissolve and liquidate the balance of the Corporation’s net assets to its remaining stockholders, as part of the Corporation’s plan of dissolution and liquidation, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to the Corporation’s obligations under the GCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. In such event, the per share redemption price shall be equal to a pro rata share of the Trust Account plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Corporation to pay its taxes divided by the total number of IPO Shares then outstanding.
E. A holder of IPO Shares shall only be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Fund in the event (i) he demands conversion of his shares in accordance with paragraph C above, or (ii) that the Corporation has not consummated a Business Combination by the Termination Date as described in paragraph E above. In no other circumstances shall a holder of IPO Shares have any right or interest of any kind in or to the Trust Fund.
F. Other than the IPO Shares, prior to a Business Combination, the Board of Directors may not issue any securities which participate in or are otherwise entitled in any manner to any of the proceeds in the Trust Fund or which vote as a class with the Common Stock on a Business Combination.
G. Unless and until the Corporation has consummated its initial Business Combination as permitted under this Article Sixth, the Corporation may not consummate any other business combination transaction, whether by merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination, transaction or otherwise. The Corporation shall not consummate a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of the Corporation’s officers, directors or sponsors unless the Corporation has obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such a Business Combination is fair to the Corporation from a financial point of view and a majority of the Corporation’s disinterested independent directors approve such Business Combination.
H. If any amendment is made to this Article Sixth that would modify the substance or timing of the Corporation’s obligation to provide for the conversion of the IPO Shares in connection with an initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the IPO Shares if (A) the Corporation has not consummated an initial Business Combination within twelve months (or up to eighteen months) from the date of the consummation of the IPO or (B) with respect to any other provision in this Article Sixth, the holders of IPO Shares shall be provided with the opportunity to redeem their IPO Shares upon the approval of any such amendment, at the per-share price specified in paragraph C.
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SEVENTH: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:
A. Election of directors need not be by ballot unless the bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”) so provide.
B. The Board of Directors shall have the power, without the assent or vote of the stockholders, to make, alter, amend, change, add to or repeal the Bylaws as provided in the Bylaws.
C. The directors in their discretion may submit any contract or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or act that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation which is represented in person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in person or by proxy) shall be as valid and binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack because of directors’ interests, or for any other reason.
D. In addition to the powers and authorities hereinbefore or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation; subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the statutes of Delaware, of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and to any Bylaws from time to time made by the stockholders; provided, however, that no Bylaw so made shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such Bylaw had not been made.
E. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes: Class A, Class B and Class C. The number of directors in each class shall be as nearly equal as possible. The directors in Class A shall be elected for a term expiring at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders to occur following the IPO, the directors in Class B shall be elected for a term expiring at the second Annual Meeting of Stockholders to occur following the IPO and the directors in Class C shall be elected for a term expiring at the third Annual Meeting of Stockholders to occur following the IPO. Commencing at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders to occur following the IPO, and at each annual meeting thereafter, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Except as the GCL may otherwise require, in the interim between annual meetings of stockholders or special meetings of stockholders called for the election of directors and/or the removal of one or more directors and the filling of any vacancy in that connection, newly created directorships and any vacancies in the Board of Directors, including unfilled vacancies resulting from the removal of directors for cause, may be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, although less than a quorum (as defined in the Bylaws), or by the sole remaining director. All directors shall hold office until the expiration of their respective terms of office and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. A director elected to fill a vacancy resulting from the death, resignation or removal of a director shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the director whose death, resignation or removal shall have created such vacancy and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.
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EIGHTH:
A. A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the GCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the GCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the GCL, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph A by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation with respect to events occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.
B. The Corporation, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the GCL, as amended from time to time, shall indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which such officer or director may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized hereby.
NINTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation.
TENTH:
A. Subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, and unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the GCL or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the provisions of this paragraph A will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and (ii) unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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B. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of paragraph A immediately above is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce paragraph immediately above (a “Foreign Enforcement Action”) and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such Foreign Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.
C. If any provision or provisions of this Article TENTH shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article TENTH (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article TENTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article TENTH.
D. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article TENTH.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Jose Antonio Bengochea, its Chief Executive Officer, as of the ____ day of ____, 2025.
Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
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Exhibit 3.3
AMENDED & RESTATED BYLAWS
OF
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
1.1 Registered Office. The registered office of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware shall be established and maintained at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, County of New Castle and The Corporation Trust Company shall be the registered agent of the corporation in charge thereof.
1.2 Other Offices. The Corporation may also have offices at such other places both within and without the State of Delaware as the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
2.1 Place of Meetings. All meetings of the stockholders shall be held at such time and place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting or in a duly executed waiver of notice thereof.
2.2 Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held on such date and at such time as may be fixed by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting, for the purpose of electing directors and for the transaction of only such other business as is properly brought before the meeting in accordance with these Bylaws (the “Bylaws”).
Written notice of an annual meeting stating the place, date and hour of the meeting, shall be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the annual meeting.
To be properly brought before the annual meeting, business must be either (i) specified in the notice of annual meeting (or any supplement or amendment thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) otherwise brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by a stockholder. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting; provided, however, that in the event that less than seventy (70) days notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is given or made to stockholders, notice by a stockholder, to be timely, must be received no later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever first occurs. A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth (a) as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, and (ii) any material interest of the stockholder in such business, and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice (i) the name and record address of the stockholder and (ii) the class, series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by the stockholder. Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at the annual meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.2. The officer of the Corporation presiding at an annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the annual meeting that business was not properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.2, and if such officer should so determine, such officer shall so declare to the annual meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.
2.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (as the same shall have been from time to time amended, restated or otherwise modified, the “Certificate of Incorporation”), may only be called by a majority of the entire Board of Directors, or the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman, and shall be called by the Secretary at the request in writing of stockholders owning a majority in amount of the entire capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Such request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting.
Unless otherwise provided by law, written notice of a special meeting of stockholders, stating the time, place and purpose or purposes thereof, shall be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, not less than ten (10) or more than sixty (60) days before the date fixed for the meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.
2.4 Quorum. The holders of a majority of the capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business except as otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present or represented. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting.
2.5 Organization. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall act as chairman of meetings of the stockholders. The Board of Directors may designate any other officer or director of the Corporation to act as chairman of any meeting in the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors may further provide for determining who shall act as chairman of any stockholders meeting in the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors and such designee. The Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary of all meetings of the stockholders, but in the absence of the Secretary the presiding officer may appoint any other person to act as secretary of any meeting.
2.6 Voting. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, and subject to Section 8.8, any question (other than the election of directors) brought before any meeting of stockholders shall be decided by the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock represented and entitled to vote thereat. At all meetings of stockholders for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect directors. Each stockholder represented at a meeting of stockholders shall be entitled to cast one vote for each share of the capital stock entitled to vote thereat held by such stockholder, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize any person or persons to act for him by proxy. All proxies shall be executed in writing and shall be filed with the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the day on which exercised. No proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The Board of Directors, in its discretion, or the officer of the Corporation presiding at a meeting of stockholders, in his discretion, may require that any votes cast at such meeting shall be cast by written ballot.
2.7 No Stockholder Action by Written Consent. No action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be effected by written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting.
2.8 Voting List. Solely to the extent the same is required by law, (a) the officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder, (b) such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the election, either at a place within the city, town or village where the election is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not specified, at the place where said meeting is to be held, and (c) the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of election during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder of the Corporation who is present.
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2.9 Stock Ledger. The stock ledger of the Corporation shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the list required by Section 2.8 or the books of the Corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.
2.10 Adjournment. Any meeting of the stockholders, including one at which directors are to be elected, may be adjourned for such periods as the presiding officer of the meeting or the stockholders present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall direct.
2.11 Ratification. Any transaction questioned in any stockholders’ derivative suit, or any other suit to enforce alleged rights of the Corporation or any of its stockholders, on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of any director, officer or stockholder, nondisclosure, miscomputation or the application of improper principles or practices of accounting may be approved, ratified and confirmed before or after judgment by the Board of Directors or by the holders of Common Stock and, if so approved, ratified or confirmed, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned transaction had been originally duly authorized, and said approval, ratification or confirmation shall be binding upon the Corporation and all of its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned transaction.
2.12 Inspectors. The election of directors and any other vote by ballot at any meeting of the stockholders shall be supervised by at least one inspector. Such inspectors shall be appointed by the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting. If the inspector so appointed shall refuse to serve or shall not be present, such appointment shall be made by the officer presiding at the meeting.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
3.1 Powers; Number; Qualifications. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by law or in the Certificate of Incorporation. The number of directors which shall constitute the Board of Directors shall be not less than one (1) nor more than twelve (12). The exact number of directors shall be fixed from time to time, within the limits specified in this Section 3.1 or in the Certificate of Incorporation, by the Board of Directors. Directors need not be stockholders of the Corporation. The Board may be divided into classes as more fully described in the Certificate of Incorporation.
3.2 Election; Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies. Each director shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders at which his class stands for election or until such director’s earlier resignation, removal from office, death or incapacity.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws or permitted in the specific case by resolution of the Board of Directors, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or from any other cause may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and not by stockholders, and each director so chosen shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen, and until his successor shall be elected and qualified, or until such director’s earlier resignation, removal from office, death or incapacity.
3.3 Nominations. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation at a meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be made at such meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, by any committee or persons appointed by the Board of Directors or by any stockholder of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors at the meeting who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 3.3. Such nominations by any stockholder shall be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting; provided however, that in the event that less than seventy (70) days notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given or made to stockholders, notice by the stockholder, to be timely, must be received no later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever first occurs. Such stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth (i) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (a) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person, (b) the principal occupation or employment of the person, (c) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by the person, and (d) any other information relating to the person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations for proxies for election of directors pursuant to the Rules and Regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and (ii) as to the stockholder giving the notice (a) the name and record address of the stockholder and (b) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by the stockholder. The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation. No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth herein. The officer of the Corporation presiding at an annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedure, and if he should so determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.
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3.4 Meetings. The Board of Directors of the Corporation may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware. The first meeting of each newly elected Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the meeting of the stockholders at which it is elected and no notice of such meeting shall be necessary to the newly elected directors in order to legally constitute the meeting, provided a quorum shall be present. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman or a majority of the entire Board of Directors. Notice thereof stating the place, date and hour of the meeting shall be given to each director either by mail not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the date of the meeting, by telephone, facsimile, telegram or e-mail on twenty-four (24) hours notice, or on such shorter notice as the person or persons calling such meeting may deem necessary or appropriate in the circumstances.
3.5 Quorum. Except as may be otherwise specifically provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, at all meetings of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, a majority of the entire Board of Directors or such committee, as the case may be, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof, a majority of the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
3.6 Organization of Meetings. The Board of Directors shall elect one of its members to be Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall lead the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibilities as set forth in these Bylaws, including its responsibility to oversee the performance of the Corporation, and shall determine the agenda and perform all other duties and exercise all other powers which are or from time to time may be delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or in his or her absence, by the Chief Executive Officer, or in the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer by such other person as the Board of Directors may designate or the members present may select.
3.7 Actions of Board of Directors Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filled with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee.
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3.8 Removal of Directors by Stockholders. The entire Board of Directors or any individual Director may be removed from office with or without cause by a majority vote of the holders of the outstanding shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Corporation’s Board of Directors is classified, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause. In case the Board of Directors or any one or more Directors be so removed, new Directors may be elected at the same time for the unexpired portion of the full term of the Director or Directors so removed.
3.9 Resignations. Any Director may resign at any time by submitting his written resignation to the Board of Directors or Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time of its receipt by the Corporation unless another time be fixed in the resignation, in which case it shall become effective at the time so fixed. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be required to make it effective.
3.10 Committees. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided by law and in the resolution of the Board of Directors establishing such committee, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to amending the Certificate of Incorporation, adopting an agreement of merger or consolidation, recommending to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s property and assets, recommending to the stockholders a dissolution of the Corporation or a revocation of a dissolution or amending the Bylaws of the Corporation; and, unless the resolution expressly so provides, no such committee shall have the power or authority to declare a dividend or to authorize the issuance of stock or to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required.
3.11 Compensation. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and may be paid a fixed amount (in cash or other form of consideration) for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or a stated salary as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.
3.12 Interested Directors. No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association, or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because his or their votes are counted for such purpose, if (i) the material facts as to his or their relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the Board of Directors or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum; or (ii) the material facts as to his or their relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or (iii) the contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified, by the Board of Directors, a committee thereof or the stockholders. Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.
3.13 Meetings by Means of Conference Telephone. Members of the Board of Directors or any committee designed by the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee of the Board of Directors by means of conference telephone, video meeting software or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
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ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
4.1 General. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected by the Board of Directors and may consist of: a Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary and Treasurer. The Board of Directors, in its discretion, may also elect one or more Vice Presidents (including Executive Vice Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents), Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers, a Controller and such other officers as in the judgment of the Board of Directors may be necessary or desirable. Any number of offices may be held by the same person and more than one person may hold the same office, unless otherwise prohibited by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. The officers of the Corporation need not be stockholders of the Corporation, nor need such officers be directors of the Corporation.
4.2 Election. The Board of Directors at its first meeting held after each annual meeting of stockholders shall elect the officers of the Corporation who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors; and all officers of the Corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualified, or until their earlier resignation or removal. Except as otherwise provided in this Article IV, any officer elected by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors. The salaries, if any, of all officers who are directors of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.
4.3 Voting Securities Owned by the Corporation. Powers of attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents and other instruments relating to securities owned by the Corporation may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation by the Chief Executive Officer, and any such officer may, in the name and on behalf of the Corporation, take all such action as any such officer may deem advisable to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of security holders of any corporation in which the Corporation may own securities and at any such meeting shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and powers incident to the ownership of such securities and which, as the owner thereof, the Corporation might have exercised and possessed if present. The Board of Directors may, by resolution, from time to time confer like powers upon any other person or persons.
4.4 Chief Executive Officer. Subject to the provisions of these Bylaws and to the direction of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer shall have ultimate authority for decisions relating to the general management and control of the affairs and business of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers which are or from time to time may be delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws, all in accordance with basic policies as established by and subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors.
4.5 President. At the request of the Chief Executive Officer, or in the absence of the Chief Executive Officer, or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, the President shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon such office. The President shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe.
4.6 Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have general supervision, direction and control of the financial affairs of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers which are or from time to time may be delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws, all in accordance with basic policies as established by and subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors. In the absence of a named Treasurer, the Chief Financial Officer shall also have the powers and duties of the Treasurer as hereinafter set forth and shall be authorized and empowered to sign as Treasurer in any case where such officer’s signature is required.
4.7 Chief Operating Officer. The Chief Operating Officer shall directly supervise the day-to-day business, affairs and operations of the Corporation, subject to the oversight of the Chief Executive Officer, and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers which are or from time to time may be delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws. The Chief Operating Officer may sign certificates of stock and may sign and seal bonds, debentures, contracts or other obligations authorized by the Board of the Directors.
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4.8 Vice Presidents. At the request of the Chief Executive Officer or in the absence of the Chief Executive Officer, or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, the Vice President or the Vice Presidents if there is more than one (in the order designated by the Board of Directors) shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon such office. Each Vice President shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe. If there be no Vice President, the Board of Directors shall designate the officer of the Corporation who, in the absence of the President or in the event of the inability or refusal of such officer to act, shall perform the duties of such office, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon such office.
4.9 Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of stockholders and record all the proceedings thereat in a book or books to be kept for that purpose; the Secretary shall also perform like duties for the standing committees when required. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be. If the Secretary shall be unable or shall refuse to cause to be given notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, then any Assistant Secretary shall perform such actions. If there be no Assistant Secretary, then the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may choose another officer to cause such notice to be given. The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, if there be one, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by the signature of the Secretary or by the signature of any such Assistant Secretary. The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing by his signature. The Secretary shall see that all books, reports, statements, certificates and other documents and records required by law to be kept or filed are properly kept or filed, as the case may be.
4.10 Treasurer. The Treasurer, if there be any, shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors, at its regular meetings, or when the Board of Directors so requires, an account of all his transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation. If required by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control belonging to the Corporation.
4.11 Assistant Secretaries. Except as may be otherwise provided in these Bylaws, Assistant Secretaries, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, or the Secretary, and in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of his disability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Secretary, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Secretary.
4.12 Assistant Treasurers. Assistant Treasurers, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, or the Treasurer, and in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of his disability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Treasurer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Treasurer. If required by the Board of Directors, an Assistant Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control belonging to the Corporation.
4.13 Controller. The Controller shall establish and maintain the accounting records of the Corporation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis, maintain proper internal control of the assets of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Operating Officer may prescribe.
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4.14 Other Officers. Such other officers as the Board of Directors may choose shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may delegate to any other officer of the Corporation the power to choose such other officers and to prescribe their respective duties and powers.
4.15 Vacancies. The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer shall each have the power to fill any vacancies in any office occurring from whatever reason.
4.16 Resignations. Any officer may resign at any time by submitting his written resignation to the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time of its receipt by the Corporation, unless another time be fixed in the resignation, in which case it shall become effective at the time so fixed. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be required to make it effective.
4.17 Removal. Subject to the provisions of any employment agreement approved by the Board of Directors, any officer of the Corporation may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V
CAPITAL STOCK
5.1 Form of Certificates. The shares of stock in the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be in uncertificated form. Stock certificates shall be in such forms as the Board of Directors may prescribe and signed by any two officers of the Corporation from among the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Operating Officer.
5.2 Signatures. Any or all of the signatures on a stock certificate may be a facsimile, including, but not limited to, signatures of officers of the Corporation and countersignatures of a transfer agent or registrar. In case an officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
5.3 Lost Certificates. The Board of Directors may direct a new stock certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any stock certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new stock certificate, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as the Board of Directors shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.
5.4 Transfers. Stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. Transfers of certificated stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation only by the person named in the certificate or by such person’s attorney lawfully constituted in writing and upon the surrender of the certificate therefor, which shall be canceled before a new certificate shall be issued. Transfers of uncertificated stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation only by the person then registered on the books of the Corporation as the owner of such shares or by such person’s attorney lawfully constituted in writing and written instruction to the Corporation containing such information as the Corporation or its agents may prescribe. No transfer of uncertificated stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing from and to whom transferred. The Corporation shall have no duty to inquire into adverse claims with respect to any stock transfer unless (a) the Corporation has received a written notification of an adverse claim at a time and in a manner which affords the Corporation a reasonable opportunity to act on it prior to the issuance of a new, reissued or re-registered share certificate, in the case of certificated stock, or entry in the stock record books of the Corporation, in the case of uncertificated stock, and the notification identifies the claimant, the registered owner and the issue of which the share or shares is a part and provides an address for communications directed to the claimant; or (b) the Corporation has required and obtained, with respect to a fiduciary, a copy of a will, trust, indenture, articles of co-partnership, Bylaws or other controlling instruments, for a purpose other than to obtain appropriate evidence of the appointment or incumbency of the fiduciary, and such documents indicate, upon reasonable inspection, the existence of an adverse claim. The Corporation may discharge any duty of inquiry by any reasonable means, including notifying an adverse claimant by registered or certified mail at the address furnished by him or, if there be no such address, at his residence or regular place of business that the security has been presented for registration of transfer by a named person, and that the transfer will be registered unless within thirty days from the date of mailing the notification, either (1) an appropriate restraining order, injunction or other process issues from a court of competent jurisdiction; or (2) an indemnity bond, sufficient in the Corporation’s judgment to protect the Corporation and any transfer agent, registrar or other agent of the Corporation involved from any loss which it or they may suffer by complying with the adverse claim, is filed with the Corporation.
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5.5 Fixing Record Date. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed:
(a) The record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held; and
(b) The record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
5.6 Registered Stockholders. Prior to due presentment for transfer of any share or shares, the Corporation shall treat the registered owner thereof as the person exclusively entitled to vote, to receive notifications and to all other benefits of ownership with respect to such share or shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State Delaware.
ARTICLE VI
NOTICES
6.1 Form of Notice. Notices to directors and stockholders other than notices to directors of special meetings of the board of Directors which may be given by any means stated in Section 3.4, shall be in writing and delivered personally or mailed to the directors or stockholders at their addresses appearing on the books of the corporation. Notice by mail shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be mailed. Notice to directors may also be given by electronic mail.
6.2 Waiver of Notice. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of law or the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws of the Corporation, a written waiver, signed by the person or persons entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular, or special meeting of the stockholders, directors, or members of a committee of directors need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation.
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ARTICLE VII
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
7.1 The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
7.2 The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
7.3 To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections 7.1 or 7.2, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith.
7.4 Any indemnification under Sections 7.1 or 7.2 (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in such section. Such determination shall be made:
(a) By the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, or
(b) If such a quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
7.5 Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
7.6 The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to the other Sections of this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.
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7.7 The Corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this Article.
7.8 For purposes of this Article, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting Corporation, any constituent Corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer employee or agent of such constituent Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this Article with respect to the resulting or surviving Corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent Corporation of its separate existence had continued.
7.9 For purposes of this Article, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article.
7.10 The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
7.11 No director or officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or to any stockholder of the Corporation for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, provided that this provision shall not limit the liability of a director or officer (i) for any breach of the director’s or the officer’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit.
7.12 This Article VII shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than directors and officers of the Corporation when and as authorized by appropriate corporate action.
ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
8.1 Reliance on Books and Records. Each Director, each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and each officer of the Corporation, shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation, including reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers, by an independent certified public accountant, or by an appraiser selected with reasonable care.
8.2 Maintenance and Inspection of Records. The Corporation shall, either at its principal executive office or at such place or places as designated by the Board of Directors, keep a record of its stockholders listing their names and addresses and the number and class of shares held by each stockholder, a copy of these Bylaws, as may be amended to date, minute books, accounting books and other records.
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Any such records maintained by the Corporation may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device or method, provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time. The Corporation shall so convert any records so kept upon the request of any person entitled to inspect such records pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law. When records are kept in such manner, a clearly legible paper form produced from or by means of the information storage device or method shall be admissible in evidence, and accepted for all other purposes, to the same extent as an original paper form accurately portrays the record.
Any stockholder of record, in person or by attorney or other agent, shall, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have the right during the usual hours for business to inspect for any proper purpose the Corporation’s stock ledger, a list of its stockholders, and its other books and records and to make copies or extracts therefrom. A proper purpose shall mean a purpose reasonably related to such person’s interest as a stockholder. In every instance where an attorney or other agent is the person who seeks the right to inspection, the demand under oath shall be accompanied by a power of attorney or such other writing that authorizes the attorney or other agent to so act on behalf of the stockholder. The demand under oath shall be directed to the Corporation at its registered office in Delaware or at its principal executive office.
8.3 Inspection by Directors. Any director shall have the right to examine the Corporation’s stock ledger, a list of its stockholders, and its other books and records for a purpose reasonably related to his or her position as a director.
8.4 Dividends. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to law. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the Directors shall think conducive to the interest of the Corporation, and the Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.
8.5 Checks. All checks or demands for money and notes of the Corporation shall be signed by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer or such other persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.
8.6 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be as determined by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors shall fail to do so, the Chief Financial Officer shall fix the fiscal year.
8.7 Seal. The corporate seal, if the Board of Directors determines that the Corporation should have a corporate seal, shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware”. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any manner reproduced.
8.8 Amendments. The original or other Bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed by the stockholders entitled to vote thereon at any regular or special meeting or, if the Certificate of Incorporation so provides, by the Board of Directors. The fact that such power has been so conferred upon the Board of Directors shall not divest the stockholders of the power nor limit their power to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66.7% of the total voting power of outstanding Common Stock shall be required for the stockholders of the Corporation to alter, amend or repeal, or adopt any provision of these Bylaws inconsistent with, the following provisions of these Bylaws: Article II, Section 3.1, Section 3.2, Section 3.8, Article VII or this Section 8.8 (including, without limitation, any such Article or Section as renumbered as a result of any amendment, alteration, change, repeal, or adoption of any other change to these Bylaws).
8.9 Interpretation of Bylaws. All words, terms and provisions of these Bylaws shall be interpreted and defined by and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended, and as amended from time to time hereafter.
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Exhibit 4.1
SPECIMEN UNIT CERTIFICATE
| NUMBER | UNITS |
| [●] U |
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
| SEE REVERSE FOR | CUSIP: 462837 204 | |
| CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
UNITS CONSISTING OF ONE SHARE OF COMMON STOCK, ONE HALF WARRANT, AND ONE RIGHT,
WITH EACH RIGHT TO RECEIVE ONE-EIGHTH (1/8) OF ONE SHARE OF COMMON STOCK
THIS CERTIFIES THAT________________________________________________________________________________________ is the owner of______________________________________________________________________________ Units.
Each Unit (“Unit”) consists of one (1) share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”) of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), on-half warrant (“Warrant(s)”), and one (1) right (“Right(s)”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share. Each Right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-eighth (1/8) of one share of Common Stock upon consummation of the Business Combination. The Common Stock, Warrants, and Rights comprising the Units represented by this certificate are not transferrable separately prior to the 52nd day after the date of the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”), subject to earlier separation in the discretion of D. Boral Capital, LLC, provided that the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the Company’s receipt of the gross proceeds of the IPO and issued a press release announcing when separate trading will begin.
The terms of the Warrants are governed by a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”), dated as of [●], 2025, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as the transfer agent, and is subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. The terms of the Rights are governed by a rights agreement (the “Rights Agreement”), dated as of [●], 2025, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as the transfer agent, and is subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. A copy of each of the Warrant Agreement and the Rights Agreement is on file at the office of Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1561 and is available to Warrant or Rights holder on written request and without cost.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar of the Company.
Witness the facsimile seal of the Company and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.
| By: | By: | |||
| Chief Executive Officer | Secretary |
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
The Company will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests, a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT | — | Custodian |
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||
| (Cust) | (Minor) |
| JT TEN | — | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common |
under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act |
| (State) |
Additional abbreviations may also be used through not in the above list.
| For value received, | hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto |
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
| (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE WRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE) |
| Units represented by the within Certificate, and do(es) hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint |
| Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises. |
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
| THE SIGNATURE(S) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (Banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program, pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15). |
The holder(s) of this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of the funds from the trust account with respect to the common stock underlying this certificate only in the event that (i) the Company is forced to liquidate because it does not consummate an initial business combination within the period of time set forth in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Charter”) or (ii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to convert his, her or its shares upon consummation of, or tender(s) his, her or its shares in a tender offer in connection with, an initial business combination or in connection with certain amendments to the Charter. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.2
SPECIMEN COMMON STOCK CERTIFICATE
| NUMBER | SHARES |
[●] U
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
COMMON STOCK
| SEE REVERSE FOR | CUSIP: 462837 105 |
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
| THIS | CERTIFIES | THAT |
| is the owner of |
FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK,
PAR VALUE OF $0.0001, OF
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
Transferrable on the books of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed. The Company will be forced to liquidate if it is unable to complete an initial business combination within the period of time as set forth in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, all as more fully described in the Company’s final prospectus dated [●], 2025.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar of the Company.
Witness the facsimile seal of the Company and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.
| By: | By: | |||
| Chief Executive Officer | Chief Financial Officer |
[INSERT SEAL HERE]
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
The Company will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the shares represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, and resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of shares of Common Stock (copies of which may be obtained from the secretary of the Company), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT — | Custodian | ||
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||
| (Cust) | (Minor) | |||||
| JT TEN | — | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | |||
| (State) | ||||||
Additional abbreviations may also be used through not in the above list.
For value received, ___________________________ hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE WRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Units represented by the within Certificate, and do(es) hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
| Dated |
| Notice: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. |
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
| THE SIGNATURE(S) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (Banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program, pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15). |
The holder(s) of this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of the funds from the trust account with respect to the common stock underlying this certificate only in the event that (i) the Company is forced to liquidate because it does not consummate an initial business combination within the period of time set forth in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Charter”) or (ii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to convert his, her or its shares upon consummation of, or tender(s) his, her or its shares in a tender offer in connection with, an initial business combination or in connection with certain amendments to the Charter. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.3
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Delaware
CUSIP: ________
Warrant Certificate
This Warrant Certificate certifies that ____________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Exercise Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) of the United States of America upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Exercise Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable share of Common Stock. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share of Common Stock, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Exercise Price per share of Common Stock for any Warrant is equal to $11.50 per share. The Exercise Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void. The Warrants may be redeemed, subject to certain conditions, as set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.
[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive shares of Common Stock and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement dated as of [●], 2025(the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Exercise Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, no Warrant may be exercised unless at the time of exercise (i) a registration statement covering the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise is effective under the Securities Act and (ii) a prospectus thereunder relating to the shares of Common Stock is current, except through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share of Common Stock, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent, a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a stockholder of the Company.
2
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive shares of Common Stock and herewith tenders payment for such shares of Common Stock to the order of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (the “Company”) in the amount of $ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of ___________________, whose address is and that such shares of Common Stock be delivered to whose address is ________________________________________________________. If said number of shares of Common Stock is less than all of the shares of Common Stock purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to_____________________, whose address is _____________________________________________________________________________________.
In the event that the Warrant has been called for redemption by the Company pursuant to [Section 6] of the Warrant Agreement and the Company has required cashless exercise pursuant to [Section 6.3] of the Warrant Agreement, the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with [subsection 3.3.1(b)] and [Section 6.3] of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is a Private Placement Warrant that is to be exercised on a “cashless” basis pursuant to [subsection 3.3.1(c)] of the Warrant Agreement, the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with [subsection 3.3.1(c)] of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a “cashless” basis pursuant to [Section 7.4] of the Warrant Agreement, the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with [Section 7.4] of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive shares of Common Stock. If said number of shares is less than all of the shares of Common Stock purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to _____________________, whose address is _________________________________________________________.
| [Signature Page Follows] | ||
| Date: [●], 2025. | ||
| (Signature) | ||
| (Address) | ||
| (Tax Identification Number) |
| Signature Guaranteed: |
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).
3
Exhibit 4.4
SPECIMEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
|
NUMBER
[●]R
|
RIGHTS |
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DELAWARE
RIGHTS
|
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
CUSIP: 462837 121 |
THIS CERTIFIES THAT, for value received is the registered holder(s) of a right or rights (each, a “Right”) to automatically receive one share of common stock, $0.0001 par value (“Common Stock”), of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) for each Right evidenced by this Rights Certificate on the Company’s completion of an initial business combination (as defined in the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering (“Prospectus”)) upon surrender of this Rights Certificate pursuant to the Rights Agreement, dated as of [●], 2025, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any Right.
Upon liquidation of the Company in the event an initial business combination is not consummated during the required period as identified in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, the Rights shall expire and be worthless. The holder of a Right shall have no right or interest of any kind in the Company’s trust account (as defined in the Prospectus).
Upon due presentment for registration of transfer of the Rights Certificate at the office or agency of the Rights Agent, a new Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Rights shall be issued to the transferee in exchange for this Rights Certificate, without charge except for any applicable tax or other governmental charge.
The Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exchange of Rights. The Company reserves the right to deal with any fractional entitlement at the relevant time in any manner (as provided in the Rights Agreement).
The Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the registered holder(s) as the absolute owner(s) of this Rights Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any conversion hereof, of any distribution to the registered holder(s), and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Right Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
This Right does not entitle the registered holder(s) to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company.
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | SECRETARY | |
| Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent |
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the rights represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, and resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of shares of Common Stock (copies of which may be obtained from the Chief Operating Officer of the Company), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT | — | Custodian | |||
| (Cust) | (Minor) | |||||||
| TEN ENT | — | as tenants by the entireties | ||||||
| under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | ||||||||
| JT TEN | — | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | ||||||
| (State) | ||||||||
Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For value received, hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
| PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE |
|
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
| rights represented by the within Certificate, and do(es) hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint |
| Attorney to transfer said rights on the books of the within named Company will full power of substitution in the premises. |
| Dated | ||||
| Notice: | The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. |
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
| THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15). |
The holder of this certificate shall have no right or interest of any kind in or to the funds held in the Company’s trust account (as defined in the Prospectus).
Exhibit 4.5
WARRANT AGREEMENT
This WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of _________________, 2025 between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation, with offices at _________________________________ (“Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York limited purpose trust company, with offices at 1 State Street, New York, New York 10004, as warrant agent (“Warrant Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in a public offering (“Public Offering”) of up to 28,750,000 units (including 3,750,000 units which may be issued pursuant to an overallotment option granted to the underwriters of the Public Offering), each unit (the “Public Units”) comprised of one share of the common stock, par value $.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), one-half warrant, where each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein, and one right, with each eight rights entitling the holder to receive one share of Common Stock upon completion of an initial business combination and, in connection therewith, will issue and deliver up to 12,500,000 warrants (or up to 14,375,000 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, the “Public Warrants”) to the public investors in connection with the Public Offering; and
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-1, No. 333-__________ (“Registration Statement”) and prospectus (“Prospectus”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Act”) of, among other securities, the Public Warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Company entered into that certain Sponsor Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement with Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of up to 4,805,000 private placement warrants (if the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full) simultaneously with the closing of the Offering (the “Private Warrants”), each bearing the legend set forth in Exhibit A hereto at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant;
WHEREAS, the Company may issue up to an additional 150,000 warrants (the “Working Capital Warrants”) included in exchange for working capital loans, in satisfaction of certain working capital loans made by the Company’s officers, directors, initial stockholders and their affiliates; and
WHEREAS, following consummation of the Public Offering, the Company may issue additional warrants (“Post IPO Warrants” and together with the Public Warrants, Private Warrants, and Working Capital Warrants, the “Warrants”) in connection with, or following the consummation by the Company of, a Business Combination (defined below); and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption, and exercise of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding, and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Warrants.
2.1. Form of Warrant. Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairman of the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company and shall bear a facsimile of the Company’s seal. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Warrant shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Warrant before such Warrant is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance.
2.2. Uncertificated Warrants. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Warrant, or portion thereof, may be issued as part of, and be represented by, a Unit, and any Warrant may be issued in uncertificated or book-entry form through the Warrant Agent and/or the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) or other book-entry depositary system, in each case as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company or by an authorized committee thereof. Any Warrant so issued shall have the same terms, force and effect as a certificated Warrant that has been duly countersigned by the Warrant Agent in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
2.3. Effect of Countersignature. Except with respect to uncertificated Warrants as described above, unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof.
2.4. Registration.
2.4.1. Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (“Warrant Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company.
2.4.2. Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant is then registered in the Warrant Register (“registered holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the Warrant certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.5. Detachability of Warrants. The securities comprising the Units will not be separately transferable until the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus or, if such 52nd day is not on a day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, on which banks in New York City are generally open for normal business (a “Business Day”), then on the immediately succeeding Business Day following such date, or earlier with the consent of D. Boral Capital, LLC (the “Representative”), but in no event will the Representative allow separate trading of the securities comprising the Units until (i) the Company has filed a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option in the Public Offering, if the over-allotment option is exercised prior to the filing of the Form 8-K, and (ii) the Company has issued a press release and has filed a Current Report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin (the “Detachment Date”).
2.6. Private Warrant and Working Capital Warrant Attributes. The Private Warrants and Working Capital Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants.
2.7. Post IPO Warrants. The Post IPO Warrants, when and if issued, shall have the same terms and be in the same form as the Public Warrants except as may be agreed upon by the Company.
2
3. Terms and Exercise of Warrants
3.1. Warrant Price. Each Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent (except with respect to uncertificated Warrants), entitle the registered holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Warrant and of this Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of shares of Common Stock stated therein, at the price of $11.50 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Agreement refers to the price per share at which the Common Stock may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised. The Company in its sole discretion may lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) for a period of not less than twenty (20) Business Days; provided, that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days’ prior written notice of such reduction to registered holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such reduction shall be applied consistently to all of the Warrants.
3.2. Duration of Warrants. A Warrant may be exercised only during the period commencing 30 days after the consummation by the Company of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (“Business Combination”) (as described more fully in the Registration Statement), and terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the earlier to occur of (i) the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company consummates a Business Combination, (ii) at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the Redemption Date as provided in Section 6.2 of this Agreement and (iii) the liquidation of the Trust Account (defined below) (“Expiration Date”). The period of time from the date the Warrants will first become exercisable until the expiration of the Warrants shall hereafter be referred to as the “Exercise Period.” Except with respect to the right to receive the Redemption Price (as set forth in Section 6 hereunder), as applicable, each outstanding Warrant not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at the close of business on the Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date; provided, however, that the Company will provide at least twenty (20) days’ prior written notice of any such extension to registered holders and, provided further that any such extension shall be applied consistently to all of the Warrants.
3.3. Exercise of Warrants.
3.3.1. Payment. Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Agreement, a Warrant, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, may be exercised by the registered holder thereof by surrendering it, at the office of the Warrant Agent, or at the office of its successor as Warrant Agent, in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, with the subscription form, as set forth in the Warrant, duly executed, and by paying in full the Warrant Price for each share of Common Stock as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, as follows:
(a) in lawful money of the United States, by good certified check or good bank draft payable to the order of the Warrant Agent or wire transfer;
(b) in the event of a redemption pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof in which the Company’s management has elected to force all holders of Warrants to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by surrendering the Warrants for that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the Warrant Price and the “Fair Market Value” (defined below) by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this Section 3.3.1(b), the “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Common Stock for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to holders of the Warrants pursuant to Section 6 hereof; or
(c) in the event the registration statement required by Section 7.4 hereof is not effective and current within sixty (60) days after the closing of a Business Combination, by surrendering such Warrants for that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the Warrants and the “Fair Market Value” by (y) the Fair Market Value; provided, however, that no cashless exercise shall be permitted unless the Fair Market Value is equal to or higher than the exercise price. Solely for purposes of this Section 3.3.1(c), the “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Common Stock for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date of exercise.
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3.3.2. Issuance of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (if any), the Company shall issue to the registered holder of such Warrant a certificate or certificates, or book entry position, for the number of shares of Common Stock to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new countersigned Warrant, or book entry position, for the number of shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise. No Warrant shall be exercisable for cash and the Company shall not be obligated to issue Common Stock upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Common Stock issuable upon such Warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the Warrants. In the event that the condition in the immediately preceding sentence is not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant for cash and such Warrant may have no value and expire worthless, in which case the purchaser of a Unit containing such Warrants shall have paid the full purchase price for the Unit solely for the Common Stock underlying such Unit. Warrants may not be exercised by, or securities issued to, any registered holder in any state in which such exercise or issuance would be unlawful.
3.3.3. Valid Issuance. All Common Stock issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3.3.4. Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any book entry position or certificate for Common Stock is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date on which the Warrant, or book entry position representing such Warrant, was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company or book entry system of the Warrant Agent are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books or book entry system are open.
3.3.5 Maximum Percentage. A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5; however, no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless he, she or it makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not cause the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the Warrant Agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99 or 9.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude shares of Common Stock that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred stock or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, current report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the SEC as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Warrant Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided, however, that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company.
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4. Adjustments.
4.1. Stock Dividends; Split Ups. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 below, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in Common Stock, or by a split up of Common Stock, or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split up or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding shares of Common Stock.
4.2. Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Common Stock.
4.3 Extraordinary Dividends. If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of the Common Stock or other shares of the Company’s capital stock into which the Warrants are convertible (an “Extraordinary Dividend”), then the Warrant Price shall be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such Extraordinary Dividend, by the amount of cash and the fair market value (as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, in good faith) of any securities or other assets paid in respect of such Extraordinary Dividend divided by all outstanding shares of the Company at such time (whether or not any shareholders waived their right to receive such dividend); provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed an Extraordinary Dividend for purposes of this provision: (a) any adjustment described in subsection 4.1 above, (b) any cash dividends or cash distributions which, when combined on a per share basis with all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Common Stock during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution does not exceed $0.50 per share (taking into account all of the outstanding shares of the Company at such time (whether or not any shareholders waived their right to receive such dividend) and as adjusted to appropriately reflect any of the events referred to in other subsections of this Section 4 and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the Warrant Price or to the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each Warrant) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50, (c) any payment to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of the shares of Common Stock in connection with a proposed initial Business Combination or certain amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as described in the Registration Statement) or (d) any payment in connection with the Company’s liquidation and the distribution of its assets upon its failure to consummate a Business Combination. Solely for purposes of illustration, if the Company, at a time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pays a cash dividend of $0.35 and previously paid an aggregate of $0.40 of cash dividends and cash distributions on the Common Stock during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such $0.35 dividend, then the Warrant Price will be decreased, effectively immediately after the effective date of such $0.35 dividend, by $0.25 (the absolute value of the difference between $0.75 (the aggregate amount of all cash dividends and cash distributions paid or made in such 365-day period, including such $0.35 dividend) and $0.50 (the greater of (x) $0.50 and (y) the aggregate amount of all cash dividends and cash distributions paid or made in such 365-day period prior to such $0.35 dividend)). Furthermore, solely for the purposes of illustration, if following the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination, there were 100,000,000 shares outstanding and the Company paid a $1.00 dividend to 17,500,000 of such shares (with the remaining 82,500,000 shares waiving their right to receive such dividend), then no adjustment to the Warrant Price would occur as a $17.5 million dividend payment divided by 100,000,000 shares equals $0.175 per share which is less than $0.50 per share.
4.4 Adjustments in Exercise Price. Whenever the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
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4.5. Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than a change covered by Section 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3 hereof or that solely affects the par value of the Common Stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Warrant holders shall thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the Warrants and in lieu of the Common Stock of the Company immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the Warrant holder would have received if such Warrant holder had exercised his, her or its Warrant(s) immediately prior to such event. If any reclassification also results in a change in the Common Stock covered by Section 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and this Section 4.5. The provisions of this Section 4.5 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. In no event will the Warrant Price be reduced to less than the par value per share issuable upon exercise of the Warrant.
4.6. Issuance in connection with a Business Combination. If, in connection with a Business Combination, the Company (a) issues additional shares of Common Stock or equity-linked securities at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, in good faith, and in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial stockholders, or their affiliates, without taking into account any founders shares held by them prior to such issuance), (b) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the Business Combination on the date of the consummation of such Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (c) the Fair Market Value (as defined below) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value or (ii) the price at which the Company issues the Common Stock or equity-linked securities, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Fair Market Value and the price at which the Company issues Common Stock or equity-linked securities. If the adjustment in the immediately preceding sentence would otherwise result in an increase in the Warrant Price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, recapitalizations, extraordinary dividends and similar events) hereunder, no adjustment shall be made. Solely for purposes of this Section 4.6, the “Fair Market Value” shall mean the volume weighted average reported trading price of the Common Stock for the twenty (20) trading days starting on the trading day prior to the date of the consummation of the Business Combination.
4.7 Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, or 4.6, then, in any such event, the Company shall give written notice to each Warrant holder, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event.
4.8. No Fractional Warrants or Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round up to the nearest whole number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Warrant holder.
4.9. Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. However, the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed.
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4.10 Other Events. In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4, then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if they determine that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion.
5. Transfer and Exchange of Warrants.
5.1. Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures, in the case of certificated Warrants, properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. In the case of certificated Warrants, the Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
5.2. Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, either in certificated form or in book entry position, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants, or book entry positions, as requested by the registered holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange therefor until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend.
5.3. Fractional Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which will result in the issuance of a warrant certificate or book-entry position for a fraction of a Warrant.
5.4. Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants.
5.5. Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, will supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
5.6. Private Warrants and Working Capital Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not register any transfer of Private Warrants or Working Capital Warrants until after the consummation by the Company of an initial Business Combination, except for transfers (i) among the initial shareholders or to the initial shareholders’ or the Company’s officers, directors, consultants or their affiliates, (ii) to a holder’s shareholders or members upon the holder’s liquidation, in each case if the holder is an entity, (iii) by bona fide gift to a member of the holder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is the holder or a member of the holder’s immediate family, in each case for estate planning purposes, (iv) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (v) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (vi) to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, (vii) in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination by private sales at prices no greater than the price at which the Private Warrants were originally purchased, (viii) in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to its consummation of an initial Business Combination or (ix) in the event that, subsequent to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property, in each case (except for clauses (vi), (viii) or (ix) or with the Company’s prior written consent) on the condition that prior to such registration for transfer, the Warrant Agent shall be presented with written documentation pursuant to which each transferee (each, a “Permitted Transferee”) or the trustee or legal guardian for such transferee agrees to be bound by the transfer restrictions contained in this section and any other applicable agreement the transferor is bound by.
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5.7. Transfers prior to Detachment. Prior to the Detachment Date, the Public Warrants may be transferred or exchanged only together with the Unit in which such Warrant is included, and only for the purpose of effecting, or in conjunction with, a transfer or exchange of such Unit. Furthermore, each transfer of a Unit on the register relating to such Units shall operate also to transfer the Warrants included in such Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Section 5.7 shall have no effect on any transfer of Warrants on or after the Detachment Date.
6. Redemption.
6.1. Redemption. Not less than all of the outstanding Warrants may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, at any time during the Exercise Period, at the office of the Warrant Agent, upon the notice referred to in Section 6.2, at the price of $0.01 per Warrant (“Redemption Price”), provided that the closing price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 4 hereof), on each of twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period commencing after the Warrants become exercisable and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given and provided that there is an effective registration statement covering the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, available throughout the 30-day redemption or the Company has elected to require the exercise of the Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(b); provided, however, that if and when the Warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may not exercise such redemption right if the issuance of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or the Company is unable to effect such registration or qualification.
6.2. Date Fixed for, and Notice of, Redemption. In the event the Company shall elect to redeem all of the Warrants that are subject to redemption, the Company shall fix a date for the redemption (the “Redemption Date”). Notice of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Redemption Date to the registered holders of the Warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they shall appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the registered holder received such notice.
6.3. Exercise After Notice of Redemption. The Warrants may be exercised, for cash (or on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement) at any time after notice of redemption shall have been given by the Company pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and prior to the Redemption Date. In the event the Company determines to require all holders of Warrants to exercise their Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to Section 3.3.1(b), the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Common Stock to be received upon exercise of the Warrants, including the “Fair Market Value” in such case. On and after the Redemption Date, the record holder of the Warrants shall have no further rights except to receive, upon surrender of the Warrants, the Redemption Price.
7. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants.
7.1. No Rights as Stockholder. A Warrant does not entitle the registered holder thereof to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.
7.2. Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
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7.3. Reservation of Common Stock. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement.
7.4. Registration of Common Stock. The Company agrees that as soon as practicable after the closing of its initial Business Combination, it shall use its best efforts to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement for the registration, under the Act, of the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and it shall use its best efforts to take such action as is necessary to register or qualify for sale, in those states in which the Warrants were initially offered by the Company and in those states where holders of Warrants then reside, the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to the extent an exemption is not available. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. If any such registration statement has not been declared effective by the 60th day following the closing of the Business Combination, holders of the Warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the 61st day after the closing of the Business Combination and ending upon such registration statement being declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and during any other period when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis” as determined in accordance with Section 3.3.1(c). The Company shall provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the exercise of the Warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with this Section 7.4 is not required to be registered under the Act and (ii) the Common Stock issued upon such exercise will be freely tradable under U.S. federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Act) of the Company and, accordingly, will not be required to bear a restrictive legend. For the avoidance of any doubt, unless and until all of the Warrants have been exercised on a cashless basis, the Company shall continue to be obligated to comply with its registration obligations under the first three sentences of this Section 7.4. The provisions of this Section 7.4 may not be modified, amended, or deleted without the prior written consent of the Representative.
8. Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters.
8.1. Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Common Stock upon the exercise of Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such shares of Common Stock.
8.2. Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent.
8.2.1. Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of the Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
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8.2.2. Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the transfer agent for the Common Stock not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
8.2.3. Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
8.3. Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent.
8.3.1. Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
8.3.2. Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
8.4. Liability of Warrant Agent.
8.4.1. Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
8.4.2. Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith.
8.4.3. Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant; nor shall it be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, or any Warrant or as to whether any Common Stock will, when issued, be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.
8.5. Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all monies received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of shares of Common Stock through the exercise of Warrants.
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9. Miscellaneous Provisions.
9.1. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
9.2. Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given (i) if by email when the email is sent, (ii) if by hand or overnight delivery, when so delivered, or (iii) if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows:
CO2 Energy Transition Corp.
1334 Brittmore; Suite 190
Houston, Texas 77043
Attn: Brady Rodgers
E-mail:
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given (i) if by email, when the email is sent, (ii) if by hand or overnight delivery, when so delivered, or (iii) if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Compliance Department
with a copy in each case to:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
Attn: Mitchell Nussbaum
E-mail: mnussbaum@loeb.com
in either case with a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
D. Boral Capital LLC
New York, New York
Attn:
Email:
and:
COUNSEL
9.3. Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The Company hereby waives any objection that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Act, the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
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9.4. Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the registered holders of the Warrants and, for the purposes of Sections 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof, the Representative, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Warrant Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. The Representative shall be deemed to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with respect to Sections 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Warrant Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and the Representative with respect to the Sections 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof) and their successors and assigns and of the registered holders of the Warrants.
9.5. Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the registered holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit his Warrant for inspection by it.
9.6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
9.7. Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
9.8 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any registered holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the registered holders. All other modifications or amendments, including any amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period, shall require the written consent or vote of the registered holders of (i) a majority of the then outstanding Public Warrants if such modification or amendment is being undertaken prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) a majority of the then outstanding Warrants if such modification or amendment is being undertaken after the consummation of a Business Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the registered holders. The provisions of this Section 9.8 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of the Representative.
9.9 Trust Account Waiver. The Warrant Agent acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the trust account established by the Company in connection with the Public Offering (as more fully described in the Registration Statement) (“Trust Account”), including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance. In the event that the Warrant Agent has a claim against the Company under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent will pursue such claim solely against the Company and not against the property held in the Trust Account.
9.10 Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Brady Rodgers | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
[Signature Page to Warrant Agreement]
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EXHIBIT A
WARRANT CERTIFICATE
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EXHIBIT B
LEGEND FOR PRIVATE PLACEMENT WARRANTS
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE LETTER AGREEMENT BY AND AMONG IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II (THE “COMPANY”), BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC AND THE OTHER PARTIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 5.6 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT) WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK OF THE COMPANY ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.
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Exhibit 4.6
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of _______, 2025 between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices at ______________________, (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York company, with offices at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1561 (the “Rights Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in an initial public offering (the “Public Offering”) of units of the Company’s equity securities (each, a “Unit” and collectively, the “Units”) to D. Boral Capital, LLC (the “Representative”), as representative of the underwriters (the “Underwriters”), each such Unit comprised of one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), one half warrant, and one right to one-eighth (1/8) of one Share (the “Public Rights”) upon the happening of an Exchange Event (defined below), and in connection therewith, the Company has determined to issue and deliver up to 3,593,750 Public Rights (assuming the over-allotment option is exercised in full by the Underwriters) to public investors in the Public Offering; and
WHEREAS, the Company may issue additional rights that are governed by this Agreement (“Post-IPO Rights” and together with the Public Rights, the “Rights”) in connection with, or following the consummation by the Company of, a Business Combination; and
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-_____________ (the “Registration Statement”), and the prospectus forming a part thereof (collectively, the “Prospectus”), for the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the Units, each of the securities comprising the Units, and the Shares underlying the Public Rights, and the Shares to be issued to the Representative in connection with the Public Offering; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Rights Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Rights Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer and exchange of the Rights; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Rights, the terms upon which they shall be issued, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Rights Agent, and the holders of the Rights; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Rights, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Rights Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Rights, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Rights.
2.1. Form of Right. Each Right shall be issued in registered form only, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President and the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and shall bear a facsimile of the Company’s seal. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Right shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Right before such Right is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance.
2.2. Effect of Countersignature. Unless and until countersigned by the Rights Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Right shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exchanged for Shares.
2.3. Registration.
2.3.1. Right Register. The Rights Agent shall maintain books (“Right Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Rights. Upon the initial issuance of the Rights, the Rights Agent shall issue and register the Rights in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Rights Agent by the Company.
2.3.2. Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Right, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Right shall be registered upon the Right Register (“Registered Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Right and of each Right represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the Right Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent), for the purpose of the exchange thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.4. Detachability of Rights. The securities comprising the Units, including the Rights, will begin to trade separately on (i) the first trading day following the 52nd day after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or (ii) such earlier date as the Representative shall determine is acceptable. In no event will separate trading of the securities comprising the Units commence until the Company (i) files a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC including an audited balance sheet reflecting the Company’s receipt of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering and (ii) issues a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin.
3. Terms and Exchange of Rights
3.1. Rights. Except in cases where the Company is not the surviving entity after the occurrence of an Exchange Event, each holder of a Right shall automatically receive one-fifth of one Share upon consummation of an Exchange Event. No additional consideration shall be paid by a holder of Rights in order to receive his, her or its Shares upon an Exchange Event, as the purchase price for such Shares has been included in the purchase price for the Units. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Rights or issue fractional Shares. The provisions of this Section 3.1 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of the Representative.
3.2. Exchange Event. An “Exchange Event” shall occur upon the Company’s consummation of an initial Business Combination.
3.3. Exchange of Rights.
3.3.1. Issuance of Certificates. As soon as practicable upon the occurrence of an Exchange Event, the Company shall direct holders of the Rights to return their Rights Certificates to the Rights Agent. Upon receipt of a valid Rights Certificate, the Company shall make (or cause to be made) entries in its Register of Members of the Company and issue to the Registered Holder of such Right(s) a certificate or certificates for the number of full Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it. The Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exchange of Rights. At the time of an Exchange Event, the Company will either instruct the Rights Agent to round down to the nearest whole Share or otherwise inform it how fractional shares will be addressed in accordance with Delaware law.
3.3.2. Valid Issuance. All Shares issued upon an Exchange Event in conformity with this Agreement and the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3.3.3. Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any such certificate for Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date that the person’s name is entered in the Register of Members of the Company, which shall be the date of the Exchange Event, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate.
3.3.4 Company Not Surviving Following Exchange Event. Upon an Exchange Event in which the Company does not continue as the surviving entity, each holder of a Right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its Rights in order to receive the 1/8 of a Share underlying each Right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the Exchange Event. Each holder of a Right will be required to indicate his, her or its election to convert the Rights into the underlying Shares as well as to return the original certificates evidencing the Rights to the Company.
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3.5 Duration of Rights. If an Exchange Event does not occur within the time period set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as the same may be amended from time to time, the Rights shall expire and shall be worthless.
4. Transfer and Exchange of Rights.
4.1. Registration of Transfer. The Rights Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Right upon the Right Register, upon surrender of such Right for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Right representing an equal aggregate number of Rights shall be issued and the old Right shall be cancelled by the Rights Agent. The Rights so cancelled shall be delivered by the Rights Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
4.2. Procedure for Surrender of Rights. Rights may be surrendered to the Rights Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Rights Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Rights as requested by the Registered Holder of the Rights so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Rights; provided, however, that in the event that a Right surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Rights Agent shall not cancel such Right and issue new Rights in exchange therefor until the Rights Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Rights must also bear a restrictive legend.
4.3. Fractional Rights. The Rights Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which will result in the issuance of a Right Certificate for a fraction of a Right.
4.4. Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Rights.
4.5. Right Execution and Countersignature. The Rights Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Rights required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4, and the Company, whenever required by the Rights Agent, will supply the Rights Agent with Rights duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
5. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Rights.
5.1. No Rights as Shareholder. Until exchange of a Right for Shares as provided for herein, a Right does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.
5.2. Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Rights. If any Right is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Rights Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Right, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Right of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Right so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Right shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Right shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
5.3. Reservation of Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exchange of all outstanding Rights issued pursuant to this Agreement.
5.4. Adjustments to Conversion Ratios. The number of Shares that the holders of Rights are entitled to receive as a result of the occurrence of an Exchange Event shall be equitably adjusted to reflect appropriately the effect of any share split, share dividend, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, combination, exchange of shares or other like change with respect to the Shares occurring on or after the date hereof and prior to the Exchange Event.
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6. Concerning the Rights Agent and Other Matters.
6.1. Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Rights Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Shares upon the exchange of Rights, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Rights or such shares.
6.2. Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Rights Agent.
6.2.1. Appointment of Successor Rights Agent. The Rights Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Rights Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Rights Agent in place of the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Rights Agent or by the holder of the Right (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Right for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Right may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Rights Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Rights Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Rights Agent with like effect as if originally named as Rights Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Rights Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Rights Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Rights Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Rights Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Rights Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
6.2.2. Notice of Successor Rights Agent. In the event a successor Rights Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Rights Agent and the transfer agent for the Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
6.2.3. Merger or Consolidation of Rights Agent. Any corporation into which the Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Rights Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
6.3. Fees and Expenses of Rights Agent.
6.3.1. Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Rights Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Rights Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Rights Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Rights Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
6.3.2. Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
6.4. Liability of Rights Agent.
6.4.1. Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, President, Treasurer or Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
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6.4.2. Indemnity. The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. Subject to Section 6.6 below, the Company agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in the execution of this Agreement except as a result of the Rights Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith.
6.4.3. Exclusions. The Rights Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Right (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right or as to whether any Shares will when issued be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.
6.5. Acceptance of Agency. The Rights Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.
6.6 Waiver. The Rights Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Rights Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
7. Miscellaneous Provisions.
7.1. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
7.2. Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Rights Agent), as follows:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Attention: Bill Caragol, Chief Financial Officer
with a copy via email to bill@ironhorseacquisition.com
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Right or by the Company to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company), as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004-1561
Attention: Relationship Management
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7.3. Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Rights shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 7.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim.
7.4. Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Rights and, for the purposes of Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof, the Representative, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. The Representative shall be deemed to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with respect to Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and the Representative with respect to the Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof) and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Rights. The provisions of this Section 7.4 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of the Representative.
7.5. Examination of the Right Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Rights Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Right. The Rights Agent may require any such holder to submit his, her or its Right for inspection by it.
7.6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original, facsimile or electronically signed counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
7.7. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
7.8 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent or vote of the Registered Holders of a majority of the then outstanding Rights. The provisions of this Section 7.8 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of the Representative.
7.9 Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jose A. Bengochea | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | Vice President | |
[Signature Page to Rights Agreement]
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Exhibit 10.1
_______________, 2025
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp .II
D. Boral Capital, LLC
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
| Re: | Initial Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into by and between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and D. Boral Capital, LLC, as Representative (the “Representative”) of the underwriters named on Schedule A thereto (the “Underwriters”), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the “IPO”) of the Company’s units (the “Units”), each comprised of one share of common stock of the Company, $0.0001 par value (the “Common Stock”), one-half warrant, each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one share of Common Stock at $11.50 per share, and one-eighth (1/8th) of one right, with each whole right for the holder thereof to receive one share of Common Stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination. Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 16 hereof.
In order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the IPO, and in recognition of the benefit that such IPO will confer upon the undersigned as a shareholder of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees with the Company as follows:
1. If the Company solicits approval of its shareholders of a Business Combination, the undersigned will vote all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by him, her or it, whether acquired before, in or after the IPO, in favor of such Business Combination.
2. (a) Unless the Company’s shareholders are previously given the option to redeem their shares in connection with amending applicable documents to extend the time that the Company has to complete a Business Combination and the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 12 months from the closing of the Company’s IPO (or, in the event that the Company extended the period of time to consummate a business combination up to 18 months from the closing of the Company’s IPO, as specified in the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Charter”)), the undersigned shall take all reasonable steps to (i) cause the Trust Fund to be liquidated and distributed to the holders of the IPO Shares and (ii) cause the Company to liquidate as soon as reasonably practicable.
(b) The undersigned hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distribution of the Trust Fund and any remaining net assets of the Company as a result of such liquidation with respect to his, her or its Insider Shares (“Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim the undersigned may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Fund for any reason whatsoever.
3. (a) In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Fund, the undersigned agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claims, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever) which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by any target business or vendor or other person who is owed money by the Company for services rendered or products sold or contracted for, but only to the extent necessary to ensure that such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense does not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Fund; provided that such indemnity shall not apply if such target business, vendor or other person has executed an agreement waiving any claims against the Trust Fund.
(b) The undersigned agrees not to transfer, assign or sell any Private Warrants or Common Stock issuable upon exercise of any Private Warrants owned by the undersigned until thirty (30) days after the consummation of an initial Business Combination.
4. In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination and must liquidate and its remaining net assets are insufficient to complete such liquidation, the undersigned agrees to advance such funds necessary to complete such liquidation and agrees not to seek recourse for such expenses.
5. The undersigned will escrow all of his, her or its Insider Shares for 180 days following the closing of the Business Combination pursuant to the terms of a Stock Escrow Agreement, which the Company will enter into with the undersigned and an escrow agent acceptable to the Company.
7. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, the undersigned agrees to present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business (provided that such prospective target business has a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (net of deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination), until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations the undersigned might have.
8. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that prior to entering into a Business Combination with a target business that is affiliated with any Insiders of the Company or their affiliates, including any company that is a portfolio company of, or otherwise affiliated with, or has received financial investment from, an entity with which any Insider or their affiliates is affiliated, such transaction must be approved by a majority of the Company’s disinterested independent directors and the Company must obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that such Business Combination is fair to the Company’s unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view.
9. Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive and will not accept any compensation or other cash payment prior to, or for services rendered in connection with, the consummation of the Business Combination; provided that the Company shall be allowed to repay working capital loans made by the undersigned to the Company in cash upon consummation of the Business Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned and any affiliate of the undersigned shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying, investigating and consummating a Business Combination.
10. Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive a finder’s fee or any other compensation in the event the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned originates a Business Combination (provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC reserves the right to award a portion of its own shares of Common Stock of the Company for eventual allocation to other Insiders in the event of extraordinary contributions to the origination of a Business Combination, solely to the extent the same is permitted under the Company’s contractual arrangements and organizational documents and all applicable laws and regulations).
11. The undersigned’s FINRA Questionnaire or/and Director and Officer Questionnaire previously furnished to the Company and the Representative is true and accurate in all material respects. The undersigned represents and warrants that:
(a) He, she or it has never had a petition under the federal bankruptcy laws or any state insolvency law been filed by or against (i) him, her or it, or any partnership in which he or she was a general partner at or within two years before the time of filing; or (ii) any corporation or business association of which he or she was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of such filing;
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(b) He, she or it has never had a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer been appointed by a court for his business or property, or any such partnership;
(c) He, she or it has never been convicted of fraud in a civil or criminal proceeding;
(d) He, she or it has never been convicted in a criminal proceeding or named the subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and minor offenses);
(e) He, she or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining or otherwise limiting him, her or it from (i) acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any such activity; or (ii) engaging in any type of business practice; or (iii) engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of federal or state securities or federal commodities laws;
(f) He, she, or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any federal or state authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than 60 days his, her or its right to engage in any activity described in 11(e)(i) above, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;
(g) He, she, or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC to have violated any federal or state securities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the SEC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;
(h) He, she, or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the CFTC to have violated any federal commodities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the CFTC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;
(i) He, she, or it has never been the subject of, or a party to, any federal, state or foreign judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of (i) any federal, state or foreign securities or commodities law or regulation, (ii) any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease- and desist order, or removal or prohibition order or (iii) any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity;
(j) He, she or it has never been the subject of, or party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, or any self-regulatory organization, any registered entity, or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member;
(k) He, she or it has never been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor: (i) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC; or (iii) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment advisor or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;
(l) He, she or it was never subject to a final order of a state or foreign securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state or foreign authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state or foreign insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal or foreign banking agency; the CFTC; or the National Credit Union Administration that is based on a violation of any law or regulation that prohibits fraudulent, manipulative, or deceptive conduct;
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(m) He, she or it has never been subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, that, at the time of the sale of the Units, restrained or enjoined him, her or it from engaging or continuing to engage in any conduct or practice: (i) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions; or (iii) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;
(n) He, she or it has never been subject to any order of the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions that orders him, her or it to cease and desist from committing or causing a future violation of: (i) any scienter-based anti-fraud provision of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, Section 15(c) and Section 206(1) of the Advisers Act or any other rule or regulation thereunder; or (ii) Section 5 of the Securities Act;
(o) He, she or it has never filed (as a registrant or issuer), or been named as an underwriter in any registration statement or Regulation A offering statement filed with the SEC that was the subject of a refusal order, stop order, or order suspending the Regulation A exemption, or is, currently, the subject of an investigation or proceeding to determine whether a stop order or suspension order should be issued;
(p) He, she or it has never been subject to a United States Postal Service false representation order, or is currently subject to a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction with respect to conduct alleged by the United States Postal Service to constitute a scheme or device for obtaining money or property through the mail by means of false representations;
(q) He, she or it is not subject to a final order of a state securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal banking agency; the CFTC; or the National Credit Union Administration that bars the undersigned from: (i) association with an entity regulated by such commission, authority, agency or officer; (ii) engaging in the business of securities, insurance or banking; or (iii) engaging in savings association or credit union activities;
(r) He, she or it is not subject to an order of the SEC entered pursuant to section 15(b) or 15B(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or section 203(e) or 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) that: (i) suspends or revokes the undersigned’s registration as a broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer or investment adviser; (ii) places limitations on the activities, functions or operations of, or imposes civil money penalties on, such person; or (iii) bars the undersigned from being associated with any entity or from participating in the offering of any penny stock; and
(s) He, she or it has never been suspended or expelled from membership in, or suspended or barred from association with a member of, a securities self-regulatory organization (e.g., a registered national securities exchange or a registered national or affiliated securities association) for any act or omission to act constituting conduct inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade.
12. The undersigned has full right and power, without violating any agreement by which he, she or it is bound, to enter into this letter agreement.
13. The undersigned hereby waives his, her or its right to exercise redemption rights with respect to any shares of Common Stock owned or to be owned by the undersigned, directly or indirectly, whether purchased by the undersigned prior to the IPO, in the IPO or in the aftermarket, and agrees that he, she or it will not seek redemption with respect to or otherwise sell, such shares in connection with any vote to approve a Business Combination with respect thereto, a vote to amend the provisions of the Company’s Charter, or a tender offer by the Company prior to a Business Combination.
14. The undersigned hereby agrees to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Company’s Charter with respect to the Company’s pre-Business Combination activities prior to the consummation of a Business Combination unless the Company offers holders of IPO Shares the right to receive their pro rata portion of the funds then held in the Trust Fund.
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15. In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this letter agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators.
16. As used herein, (i) a “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, contractual arrangement, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities; (ii) “Insiders” shall mean all officers, directors and shareholders of the Company immediately prior to the IPO; (iii) “Insider Shares” shall mean all of the shares of Common Stock of the Company acquired by an Insider prior to the IPO and any shares of Common Stock underlying the Private Warrants; (iv) “IPO Shares” shall mean the shares of Common Stock issued in the Company’s IPO; (v) “Private Warrants” shall mean (x) the Warrants purchased in the private placement taking place simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s IPO and (y) the additional Warrants that may be purchased in connection with the exercise of the over-allotment option by the underwriters in the IPO as described in the Registration Statement; (vi) “Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form S-1 filed by the Company with respect to the IPO; and (vii) “Trust Fund” shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Company’s IPO will be deposited.
17. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this letter agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery, by facsimile transmission or by email transmission (with confirmation of receipt).
If to the Representative:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Sam Fleischman
Email: sfleischman@efhuttongroup.com
With a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
Attn: Mitchell Nussbaum, Esq.
If to the Company:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
P.O. Box 2506
Toluca Lake, CA 91610
Attn: Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
Email: jose@ironhorseacquisition.com
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With a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
Zarren Law Group, LLC
8 Park Center Court, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21117
Attn: Jason C. Harmon and Kenneth C. Winterbottom IV
Email: jharmon@zarrenlawgroup.com; kwinterbottom@zarrenlawgroup.com
18. No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other 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 shall be binding on the parties hereto and any successors and assigns thereof.
19. The undersigned acknowledges and understands that the Underwriters and the Company will rely upon the agreements, representations and warranties set forth herein in proceeding with the IPO.
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Sincerely,
BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC
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Exhibit 10.2
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT
This Investment Management Trust Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made effective as of _____________, 2025 by and between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WHEREAS, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, No. 333-_____________ (“Registration Statement”), for its initial public offering of securities (“IPO”) has been declared effective as of _____________ (“Effective Date”) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Registration Statement); and
WHEREAS, D. Boral Capitl, LLC (“D. Boral”), is acting as the representative of the underwriters in the IPO; and
WHEREAS, simultaneously with the IPO, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, the Company’s sponsor, will purchase 4,580,000 private warrants (as defined in the Registration Statement), at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, for a total purchase price of $4,580,000, plus up to 225,000 additional private warrants, at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, in the event that the over-allotment option described in the Registration Statement is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part.
WHEREAS, as described in the Registration Statement, and in accordance with the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Charter”), $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds of the IPO and the proceeds the Company will receive from the sale of the private warrants will be delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in a segregated trust account located at all times in the United States (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of the Company and the holders of the Company’s shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), issued in the IPO as hereinafter provided (the amount to be delivered to the Trustee will be referred to herein as the “Property”; the stockholders for whose benefit the Trustee shall hold the Property will be referred to as the “Public Stockholders,” and the Public Stockholders and the Company will be referred to together as the “Beneficiaries”); and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Trustee shall hold the Property.
IT IS AGREED:
1. Agreements and Covenants of Trustee. The Trustee hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Hold the Property in trust for the Beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of this Agreement in a segregated trust account (“Trust Account”) established by the Trustee at JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA (or at another U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more) in the United States, maintained by Trustee, and at a brokerage institution selected by the Trustee that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company;
(b) Manage, supervise and administer the Trust Account subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;
(c) In a timely manner, upon the written instruction of the Company, invest and reinvest the Property (i) in United States government securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, having a maturity of 185 days or less and/or (ii) in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (or any successor rule), and that invest solely in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, or (iii) hold funds in an interest-bearing demand deposit account; it being understood that (1) the Trustee may not invest in any other securities or assets, and (2) unless the Company instructs the Trustee to do either of the foregoing, the Trust Account will earn no interest while account funds are uninvested awaiting the Company’s instructions hereunder; and while the funds are invested or uninvested, the Trustee may earn bank credits or other consideration.
(d) Collect and receive, when due, all principal and income arising from the Property, which shall become part of the “Property,” as such term is used herein;
(e) Notify the Company and the underwriters of all communications received by it with respect to any Property requiring action by the Company;
(f) Supply any necessary information or documents as may be requested by the Company in connection with the Company’s preparation of its tax returns;
(g) Participate in any plan or proceeding for protecting or enforcing any right or interest arising from the Property if, as and when instructed by the Company to do so;
(h) Render to the Company monthly written statements of the activities of and amounts in the Trust Account reflecting all receipts and disbursements of the Trust Account; and
(i) Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter (“Termination Letter”), in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B, signed on behalf of the Company by its President, Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Board and Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary and, in the case of a Termination Letter in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit A, acknowledged and agreed to by D. Boral, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein; provided, however, that in the event that a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee by the 12-month anniversary of the closing of the IPO (“Closing”) or, in the event that the Company extended the time to complete the Business Combination for up to 15 or 18 months from the closing of the IPO but has not completed the Business Combination within such period, the 15- or 18-month anniversary of the Closing (as applicable, the “Last Date”), the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B hereto and distributed to the Public Stockholders as of the Last Date.
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(j) Upon receipt of an extension letter (“Extension Letter”) substantially similar to Exhibit D hereto at least five business days prior to the Applicable Deadline, signed on behalf of the Company by an executive officer, and receipt of the dollar amount specified in the Extension Letter on or prior to the Applicable Deadline, to follow the instructions set forth in the Extension Letter.
(k) Upon receipt of a letter (an “Amendment Notification Letter”) in the form of Exhibit E, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and, distribute to Public Stockholders who exercised their conversion rights in connection with an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (an “Amendment”) an amount equal to the pro rata share of the Property relating to the Common Stock for which such Public Stockholders have exercised conversion/redemption rights in connection with such Amendment.
(l) Not disburse any amounts from the Trust Account in connection with a Business Combination in the event that the amount per share to be received by the redeeming Public Stockholders is less than $10.00 per share (plus the amount per share deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to any Extension Letter).
(m) In connection with a Business Combination, before making disbursements to the Depository Trust Company, the Company or any other person, disburse the per share amount to redeeming Public Stockholders (other than shares tendered through the Depository Trust Company) that have tendered their shares directly to the Trustee.
2. Limited Distributions of Income from Trust Account.
(a) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit C, the Trustee shall distribute to the Company the amount of interest income earned on the Trust Account requested by the Company to cover any income or other tax obligation owed by the Company.
(b) The limited distributions referred to in Section 2(a) above shall be made only from income collected on the Property. Except as provided in Section 2(a), no other distributions from the Trust Account shall be permitted except in accordance with Section 1(i) hereof.
(c) The Company shall provide the underwriters with a copy of any Termination Letters and/or any other correspondence that it issues to the Trustee with respect to any proposed withdrawal from the Trust Account promptly after such issuance.
(d) If applicable, the Company shall issue a press release at least three days prior to the Applicable Deadline announcing that, at least five days prior to the Applicable Deadline, the Company received notice from the Company’s insiders that the insiders intend to extend the Applicable Deadline.
(e) Promptly following the Applicable Deadline, disclose whether or not the term the Company has to consummate a Business Combination has been extended.
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3. Agreements and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Give all instructions to the Trustee hereunder in writing, signed by the Company’s Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief Operating Officer. In addition, except with respect to its duties under paragraphs 1(i), 2(a) and 2(b) above, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, any verbal or telephonic advice or instruction which it in good faith believes to be given by any one of the persons authorized above to give written instructions, provided that the Company shall promptly confirm such instructions in writing.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Sections 5 and 7(g) of this Agreement, hold the Trustee harmless and indemnify the Trustee from and against, any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, or loss suffered by the Trustee in connection with any claim, potential claim, action, suit or other proceeding brought against the Trustee involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand which in any way arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Trustee hereunder, or the Property or any income earned from investment of the Property, except for expenses and losses resulting from the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Promptly after the receipt by the Trustee of notice of demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, pursuant to which the Trustee intends to seek indemnification under this paragraph, it shall notify the Company in writing of such claim (hereinafter referred to as the “Indemnified Claim”); provided, however, that the Trustee’s failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the Company of its liability hereunder, except to the extent that it is materially prejudiced by such failure. The Trustee shall have the right to conduct and manage the defense against such Indemnified Claim, provided, that the Trustee shall obtain the consent of the Company with respect to the selection of counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Trustee may not agree to settle any Indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Company may participate in such action with its own counsel.
(c) Pay the Trustee an initial acceptance fee, an annual fee and a transaction processing fee for each disbursement made pursuant to Sections 2(a) and 2(b) as set forth on Schedule A hereto, which fees shall be subject to modification by the parties from time to time. It is expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay such fees and further agreed that any fees owed to the Trustee shall be deducted by the Trustee from the disbursements made to the Company pursuant to Sections 1(i) solely in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination, or pursuant to Section 2(b). The Company shall pay the Trustee the initial acceptance fee and first year’s fee at the consummation of the IPO and thereafter on the anniversary of the Effective Date.
(d) In connection with any vote of the Company’s stockholders regarding a Business Combination, provide to the Trustee an affidavit or certificate of a firm regularly engaged in the business of soliciting proxies and/or tabulating stockholders votes verifying the vote of the Company’s stockholders regarding such Business Combination.
(e) In the event that the Company directs the Trustee to commence liquidation of the Trust Account pursuant to Section 1(i), the Company agrees that it will not direct the Trustee to make any payments that are not specifically authorized by this Agreement.
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4. Limitations of Liability. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability to:
(a) Take any action with respect to the Property, other than as directed in paragraphs 1 and 2 hereof and the Trustee shall have no liability to any party except for liability arising out of its own gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct;
(b) Institute any proceeding for the collection of any principal and income arising from, or institute, appear in or defend any proceeding of any kind with respect to, any of the Property unless and until it shall have received instructions from the Company given as provided herein to do so and the Company shall have advanced or guaranteed to it funds sufficient to pay any expenses incident thereto;
(c) Change the investment of any Property, other than in compliance with paragraph 1(c);
(d) Refund any depreciation in principal of any Property;
(e) Assume that the authority of any person designated by the Company to give instructions hereunder shall not be continuing unless provided otherwise in such designation, or unless the Company shall have delivered a written revocation of such authority to the Trustee;
(f) The other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment, except for its gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Trustee), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which is believed by the Trustee, in good faith, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Trustee shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement or any of the terms hereof, unless evidenced by a written instrument delivered to the Trustee signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Trustee are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto;
(g) Verify the correctness of the information set forth in the Registration Statement or to confirm or assure that any acquisition made by the Company or any other action taken by it is as contemplated by the Registration Statement;
(h) File local, state and/or federal tax returns or information returns with any taxing authority on behalf of the Trust Account and payee statements with the Company documenting the taxes, if any, payable by the Company or the Trust Account, relating to the income earned on the Property;
(i) Pay any taxes on behalf of the Trust Account (it being expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay any such taxes and that such taxes, if any, shall be paid by the Company from funds not held in the Trust Account or released to it under Section 2(a) hereof);
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(j) Imply obligations, perform duties, inquire or otherwise be subject to the provisions of any agreement or document other than this agreement and that which is expressly set forth herein; and
(k) Verify calculations, qualify or otherwise approve Company requests for distributions pursuant to Section 1(i), 2(a) or 2(b) above.
5. Trust Account Waiver. The Trustee has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have now or in the future. In the event the Trustee has any Claim against the Company under this Agreement, including, without limitation, under Section 3(b) or Section 3(c) hereof, the Trustee shall pursue such Claim solely against the Company and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the Property or any monies in the Trust Account.
6. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate as follows:
(a) If the Trustee gives written notice to the Company that it desires to resign under this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to locate a successor trustee during which time the Trustee shall act in accordance with this Agreement. At such time that the Company notifies the Trustee that a successor trustee has been appointed by the Company and has agreed to become subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Trustee shall transfer the management of the Trust Account to the successor trustee, including but not limited to the transfer of copies of the reports and statements relating to the Trust Account, whereupon this Agreement shall terminate; provided, however, that, in the event that the Company does not locate a successor trustee within ninety days of receipt of the resignation notice from the Trustee, the Trustee may submit an application to have the Property deposited with any court in the State of New York or with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and upon such deposit, the Trustee shall be immune from any liability whatsoever; or (b) At such time that the Trustee has completed the liquidation of the Trust Account in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1(i) hereof, and distributed the Property in accordance with the provisions of the Termination Letter, this Agreement shall terminate except with respect to Paragraph 3(b).
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) The Company and the Trustee each acknowledge that the Trustee will follow the security procedures set forth below with respect to funds transferred from the Trust Account. The Company and the Trustee will each restrict access to confidential information relating to such security procedures to authorized persons. Each party must notify the other party immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such information, or of any change in its authorized personnel. In executing funds transfers, the Trustee will rely upon all information supplied to it by the Company, including account names, account numbers and all other identifying information relating to a beneficiary, beneficiary’s bank or intermediary bank. The Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or expense resulting from any error in the information or transmission of the wire.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. It may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.
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(c) This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for Sections 1(i), 1(k), 1(l), 1(m), 1(n), 3(g), 7(c) and 7(h) (which may only be amended with the approval of the holders of at least 50% of the shares of common stock sold in the IPO, provided that all Public Stockholders must be given the right to receive a pro-rata portion of the trust account (no less than $10.00 per share plus the amount per share deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to any Extension Letter) in connection with any such amendment), this Agreement or any provision hereof may only be changed, amended or modified by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto; provided, however, that no such change, amendment or modification may be made without the prior written consent of the underwriters. As to any claim, cross-claim or counterclaim in any way relating to this Agreement, each party waives the right to trial by jury. The Trustee may require from Company counsel an opinion as to the propriety of any proposed amendment.
(d) The parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of any state or federal court located in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for purposes of resolving any disputes hereunder.
(e) Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by email:
if to the Trustee, to:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
Email: fwolf@continentalstock.com
Email: cgonzalez@continentalstock.com
if to the Company, to:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Attn: William Caragol, Chief Financial Officer
Email: bill@ironhorseacquisition.com
in either case with a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
590 Madison Avenue
39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn: Gaurav Verma
Email: gverma@efhuttongroup.com
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and:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
Attn: Alex Weniger-Araujo
Email: aweniger@loeb.com
and:
[Zarren Law Group, LLC
8 Park Center Court, Suite 100
Baltimore, Maryland 21117
Attn: Jason C. Harmon & Kenneth C. Winterbottom IV
Email: jharmon@zarrenlawgroup.com
Email: kwinterbottom@zarrenlawgroup.com]
(f) This Agreement may not be assigned by the Trustee without the prior consent of the Company.
(g) Each of the Trustee and the Company hereby represents that it has the full right and power and has been duly authorized to enter into this Agreement and to perform its respective obligations as contemplated hereunder. The Trustee acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the Trust Account, including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance.
(h) This Agreement is the joint product of the Company and the Trustee and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(i) This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or electronic transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
(j) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby acknowledge that the underwriters are a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and that each Public Stockholder is a third-party beneficiary of Sections 1(i), 1(k), 1(l), 3(g), 3(h) and 7(c).
(k) Except as specified herein, no party to this Agreement may assign its rights or delegate its obligations hereunder to any other person or entity.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Investment Management Trust Agreement as of the date first written above.
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Francis Wolf | ||
| Title: | Vice President | ||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | /s/ | ||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Iron Horse Investment Management Trust Agreement]
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EXHIBIT A
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account - Termination Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to paragraph 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (“Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Trustee”), dated as of _________, 2025 (“Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has entered into an agreement with [●] (“Target Business”) to consummate a business combination with Target Business (“Business Combination”) on or about [date]. The Company shall notify you at least (72) hours in advance of the actual date of the consummation of the Business Combination (“Consummation Date”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate the Trust Account investments and to transfer the proceeds to the above-referenced account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA. to the effect that, on the Consummation Date, all of funds held in the Trust Account will be immediately available for transfer to the account or accounts that the Company shall direct on the Consummation Date. It is acknowledged and agreed that while the funds are on deposit in the trust operating account awaiting distribution, the Company will not earn any interest or dividends.
On the Consummation Date (i) counsel for the Company shall deliver to you written notification that the Business Combination has been consummated, and (ii) the Company shall deliver to you an affidavit of the Chief Executive Officer, which verifies the vote of the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination if a vote is held and (b) joint written instructions from the Company and D. Boral with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account, which must provide for the disbursement of no less than $10.00 per share plus the amount per share deposited in the Trust Account per Extension Letter to redeeming Public Stockholders (“Instruction Letter”). You are hereby directed and authorized to transfer the funds held in the Trust Account immediately upon your receipt of the counsel’s letter and the Instruction Letter, in accordance with the terms of the Instruction Letter. In the event that certain deposits held in the Trust Account may not be liquidated by the Consummation Date without penalty, you will notify the Company of the same and the Company shall direct you as to whether such funds should remain in the Trust Account and distributed after the Consummation
Date to the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds in the Trust Account pursuant to the terms hereof, the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.
In the event that the Business Combination is not consummated on the Consummation Date described in the notice thereof and we have not notified you on or before the original Consummation Date of a new Consummation Date, then upon receipt by the Trustee of written instructions from the Company, the funds held in the Trust Account shall be reinvested as provided in the Trust Agreement on the business day immediately following the Consummation Date as set forth in the notice.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
Acknowledged and Agreed:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
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EXHIBIT B
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account - Termination Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to paragraph 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (“Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Trustee”), dated as of ___________, 2025 (“Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has been unable to effect a Business Combination with a Target Company within the time frame specified in the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as described in the Company’s prospectus relating to its IPO. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all the Trust Account investments and to transfer the total proceeds to the Trust Operating Account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank N.A. to await distribution to the Public Stockholders. The Company has selected [date] as the record date for the purpose of determining the Public Stockholders entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. It is acknowledged that no interest will be earned by the Company on the liquidation proceeds while on deposit in the Trust Checking Account. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, to distribute said funds directly to the Public Stockholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds in the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
Acknowledged and Agreed:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
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EXHIBIT C
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account - Tax Withdrawal Instruction Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to paragraph 2(a) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (“Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, (“Trustee”), dated as of _______, 2025 (“Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the Company $[●] of the interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof. The Company needs such funds to pay for its tax obligations.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Company’s operating account at:
[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION]
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
| cc: | EF Hutton |
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EXHIBIT D
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account - Extension Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to Section 1(l) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (“Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, dated as of ___, 2025 (“Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company is extending the time available in order to consummate a Business Combination with the Target Businesses for an additional [three (3) months], from [date] to [date] (the “Extension”).
This Extension Letter shall serve as the notice required with respect to Extension prior to the Applicable Deadline. Capitalized words used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to deposit $____________ (or $_____________ if the underwriters’ over-allotment option was exercised in full), which will be wired to you, into the Trust Account investments upon receipt.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
| cc: | D. Boral Capital, LLC |
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EXHIBIT E
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account - Extension Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Reference is made to that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (“Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, dated as of _______________, 2025 (“Trust Agreement”). Capitalized words used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Trust Agreement.
Pursuant to Section 1(k) of the Trust Agreement, this is to advise you that the Company has sought an Amendment. Accordingly, in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate a sufficient portion of the Trust Account and to transfer $[●] if the proceeds of the Trust to the Trust Operating Account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA. for distribution to the stockholders that have requested conversion of their shares in connection with such Amendment. The remaining funds shall be reinvested by you as previously instructed.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
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Exhibit 10.3
THIS PROMISSORY NOTE (“NOTE”) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
PROMISSORY NOTE
| Principal Amount: Up to $300,000 |
Dated November 29, 2024 New York, New York |
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Maker”), promises to pay to the order of Bengochea Capital SPAC Sponsors II LLC or its registered assigns or successors in interest (the “Payee”), or order, the principal sum of up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in lawful money of the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below. All payments on this Note shall be made by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as otherwise determined by the Maker to such account as the Payee may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.
1. Principal. The principal balance of this Note shall be payable by the Maker on the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025 or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities (the “IPO”). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. Under no circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Maker, be obligated personally for any obligations or liabilities of the Maker hereunder.
2. Interest. No interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
3. Drawdown Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) for costs reasonably related to Maker’s IPO. The principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to time prior to the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an IPO, upon written request from Maker to Payee (each, a “Drawdown Request”). Each Drawdown Request must state the amount to be drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) unless agreed upon by Maker and Payee. Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than five (5) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request; provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns collectively under this Note is Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000). Once an amount is drawn down under this Note, it shall not be available for future Drawdown Requests even if prepaid. No fees, payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker.
4. Application of Payments. All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorney’s fees, then to the payment in full of any late charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
5. Events of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default (“Event of Default”):
(a) Failure to Make Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note within five (5) business days of the date specified above.
(b) Voluntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, restructuring officer (or other similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the foregoing.
(c) Involuntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator, restructuring officer (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days.
6. Remedies.
(a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable hereunder, shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding.
(b) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) and 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in all cases without any action on the part of Payee.
7. Waivers. Maker and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property, real or personal, or any part of the proceeds arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof or any writ of execution issued hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.
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8. Unconditional Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without regard to the liability of any other party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or consented to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Maker’s liability hereunder.
9. Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Note shall be made in writing and delivered: (i) personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party or (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
10. Construction. THIS NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF.
11. Severability. Any provision contained in this Note which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
12. Trust Waiver. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in or to any distribution of or from the trust account to be established in which the proceeds of the IPO to be conducted by the Maker (including the deferred underwriters discounts and commissions) and the proceeds of the sale of the warrants to be issued in a private placement to occur prior to the closing of the IPO are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.
13. Amendment; Waiver. Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent of the Maker and the Payee.
14. Assignment. No assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the required consent shall be void.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed by the undersigned as of the day and year first above written.
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITION CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature page to IPO Promissory Note]
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Exhibit 10.4
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of the ___th day of ____, 2025, by and among Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the undersigned parties listed under Investors on the signature page hereto (each, an “Investor” and collectively, the “Investors”).
WHEREAS, the Investors and the Company desire to enter into this Agreement to provide the Investors with certain rights relating to the registration of the securities held by them as of the date hereof;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS. The following capitalized terms used herein have the following meanings:
“Agreement” means this Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Business Combination” means the acquisition of direct or indirect ownership through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar type of transaction, of one or more businesses or entities.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or any other Federal agency then administering the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.
“Company” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Demand Registration” is defined in Section 2.1.1.
“Demanding Holder” is defined in Section 2.1.1.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.
“Form S-3” is defined in Section 2.3.
“Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.3.
“Indemnifying Party” is defined in Section 4.3.
“Initial Shares” means all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock issued prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering.
“Investor” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Investor Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.1.
“Maximum Number of Shares” is defined in Section 2.1.4.
“Notices” is defined in Section 6.3.
“Piggy-Back Registration” is defined in Section 2.2.1.
“Over-Allotment Warrants” means the additional number of Private Warrants (up to a maximum of 76,500) the Sponsor (or its designees) will be required to purchase in the event that the underwriters in the Company’s initial public offering exercise their over-allotment option, as described in the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering.
“Private Warrants” means up to 4,580,000 private warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock, ________ of which the Sponsor (or its designees) is privately purchasing simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering and up to an additional 225,000 private warrants (comprising the Over-Allotment Warrants) the Sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to purchase if the underwriters in the Company’s initial public offering exercises their over-allotment option.
“Register,” “Registered” and “Registration” mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
“Registrable Securities” means (i) the Initial Shares, (ii) the Private Warrants (and underlying shares of Common Stock), (iii) the Over-Allotment Warrants (and underlying shares of Common Stock), if any, and (iv) any securities issuable upon conversion of loans from Investors to the Company, if any (the “Loan Securities”). Registrable Securities include any share capital or other securities of the Company issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to or in exchange for or in replacement of such Initial Shares, Private Warrants (and underlying shares of Common Stock), Over-Allotment Warrants (and underlying shares of Common Stock) and Loan Securities. As to any particular Registrable Securities, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (b) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for them not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of them shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (c) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding, or (d) the Registrable Securities are freely saleable under Rule 144 without volume limitations.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement filed by the Company with the Commission in compliance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder for a public offering and sale of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities (other than a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form S-8, or their successors, or any registration statement covering only securities proposed to be issued in exchange for securities or assets of another entity).
“Release Date” means the date on which the Initial Shares are disbursed from escrow pursuant to Section 3 of that certain Stock Escrow Agreement dated as of on or about the date hereof by and among the Investors and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.
“Sponsor” means Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the Company’s sponsor in the Company’s initial public offering (which, for the avoidance of doubt, is also an Investor hereunder).
“Underwriter” means, solely for the purposes of this Agreement, a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an underwritten offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Units” means the units of the Company, each comprised of one share of Common Stock, one warrant, and one right to acquire one-eighth (1/8) of one share of Common Stock upon consummation of the initial Business Combination.
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2. REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
2.1 Demand Registration.
2.1.1 Request for Registration. At any time and from time to time on or after (i) the date that the Company consummates a Business Combination with respect to the Private Warrants (or underlying shares of Common Stock), Over-Allotment Warrants (or underlying shares of Common Stock) and Loan Securities or (ii) three months prior to the Release Date with respect to all other Registrable Securities, the holders of a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities, as the case may be, held by the Investors, officers or directors of the Company or their affiliates, or the transferees of the Investors, may make a written demand, on no more than two occasions, for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Registrable Securities, as the case may be (a “ Demand Registration”). Any demand for a Demand Registration shall specify the number of shares of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify all holders of Registrable Securities of the demand, and each holder of Registrable Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration (each such holder including shares of Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify the Company within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the Demand Registration, subject to Section 2.1.4 and the provisos set forth in Section 3.1.1. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of two (2) Demand Registration under this Section 2.1.1 in respect of all Registrable Securities.
2.1.2 Effective Registration. A registration will not count as a Demand Registration until the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration has been declared effective and the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, however, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, the offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Demand Registration is interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission or any other governmental agency or court, the Registration Statement with respect to such Demand Registration will be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders thereafter elect to continue the offering; provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated to file a second Registration Statement until a Registration Statement that has been filed is counted as a Demand Registration or is terminated.
2.1.3 Underwritten Offering. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so elect and such holders so advise the Company as part of their written demand for a Demand Registration, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten offering. In such event, the right of any holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such underwriting by a majority-in-interest of the holders initiating the Demand Registration.
2.1.4 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Demand Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken together with all other shares of Common Stock or other securities which the Company desires to sell and the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by other stockholders of the Company who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Shares”), then the Company shall include in such registration: (i) first, the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by the Demanding Holders (pro rata in accordance with the number of shares that each such Person has requested be included in such registration, regardless of the number of shares held by each such Person (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the shares of Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.
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2.1.5 Withdrawal. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders disapprove of the terms of any underwriting or are not entitled to include all of their Registrable Securities in any offering, such majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders may elect to withdraw from such offering by giving written notice to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters of their request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration. If the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders withdraws from a proposed offering relating to a Demand Registration, then such registration shall not count as a Demand Registration provided for in Section 2.1.
2.2 Piggy-Back Registration.
2.2.1 Piggy-Back Rights. If at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for stockholders of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by stockholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing stockholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of shares of Registrable Securities as such holders may request in writing within five (5) days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). Subject to Section 2.2.2, the Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All holders of Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an Underwriter or Underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in the immediately preceding sentences, the right to a Piggy-Back Registration set forth under this Section 2.2.1 with respect to the Registrable Securities shall terminate on the seventh anniversary of the Effective Date.
2.2.2 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the holders of Registrable Securities in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock which the Company desires to sell, taken together with the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been demanded pursuant to written contractual arrangements with persons other than the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 2.2, and the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Shares, then the Company shall include in any such registration:
a) If the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the shares of Common Stock or other securities, if any, comprised of Registrable Securities, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights of such security holders, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares;
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b) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of persons other than either the holders of Registrable Securities, (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the shares of Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), collectively the shares of Common Stock or other securities comprised of Registrable Securities, Pro Rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.
2.2.3 Withdrawal. Any holder of Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred by the holders of Registrable Securities in connection with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 3.3.
2.2.4 Registrations on Form S-3. The holders of Registrable Securities may at any time and from time to time, request in writing that the Company register the resale of any or all of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short-form registration which may be available at such time (“Form S-3”); provided, however, that (i) the Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an underwritten offering and (ii) the Company shall not be obligated to effect more than two such requests. Upon receipt of such written request, the Company will promptly give written notice of the proposed registration to all other holders of Registrable Securities, and, as soon as practicable thereafter, effect the registration of all or such portion of such holder’s or holders’ Registrable Securities as are specified in such request, together with all or such portion of the Registrable Securities or other securities of the Company, if any, of any other holder or holders joining in such request as are specified in a written request given within fifteen (15) days after receipt of such written notice from the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such registration pursuant to this Section 2.2.4: (i) if Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) if the holders of the Registrable Securities, together with the holders of any other securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $500,000. Registrations effected pursuant to this Section 2.2.4 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant to Section 2.1.
3. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES.
3.1 Filings; Information. Whenever the Company is required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration and sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof as expeditiously as practicable, and in connection with any such request:
3.1.1 Filing Registration Statement. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to, as expeditiously as possible after receipt of a request for a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or which counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of all Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and use its reasonable best efforts to keep it effective for the period required by Section 3.1.3; provided, however, that the Company shall have the right to defer any Demand Registration for up to thirty (30) days, and any Piggy-Back Registration for such period as may be applicable to deferment of any demand registration to which such Piggy-Back Registration relates, in each case if the Company shall furnish to the holders a certificate signed by Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer or Chairman of the Company stating that, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such Registration Statement to be effected at such time; provided further, however, that the Company shall not have the right to exercise the right set forth in this provision more than once in any 365-day period in respect of a Demand Registration hereunder.
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3.1.2 Copies. The Company shall, prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration, and such holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary prospectus), and such other documents as the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration or legal counsel for any such holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such holders.
3.1.3 Amendments and Supplements. The Company shall prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to such Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities and other securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or such securities have been withdrawn.
3.1.4 Notification. After the filing of a Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly, and in no event more than two (2) business days after such filing, notify the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement of such filing, and shall further notify such holders promptly and confirm such advice in writing in all events within two (2) business days of the occurrence of any of the following: (i) when such Registration Statement becomes effective; (ii) when any post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement becomes effective; (iii) the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order (and the Company shall take all actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order or to remove it if entered); and (iv) any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or any prospectus relating thereto or for additional information or of the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the securities covered by such Registration Statement, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and promptly make available to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement any such supplement or amendment; except that before filing with the Commission a Registration Statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, the Company shall furnish to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement and to the legal counsel for any such holders, copies of all such documents proposed to be filed sufficiently in advance of filing to provide such holders and legal counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review such documents and comment thereon, and the Company shall not file any Registration Statement or prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, to which such holders or their legal counsel shall object.
3.1.5 State Securities Laws Compliance. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this paragraph or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction.
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3.1.6 Agreements for Disposition. The Company shall enter into customary agreements (including, if applicable, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company in any underwriting agreement which are made to or for the benefit of any Underwriters, to the extent applicable, shall also be made to and for the benefit of the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement. No holder of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement shall be required to make any representations or warranties in the underwriting agreement except, if applicable, with respect to such holder’s organization, good standing, authority, title to Registrable Securities, lack of conflict of such sale with such holder’s material agreements and organizational documents, and with respect to written information relating to such holder that such holder has furnished in writing expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement.
3.1.7 Cooperation. The principal executive officer of the Company, the principal financial officer of the Company, the principal accounting officer of the Company and all other officers and members of the management of the Company shall cooperate in all reasonable respects in any offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall include, without limitation, the preparation of the Registration Statement with respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents, and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and potential investors.
3.1.8 Records. The Company shall make available for inspection by the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement and any attorney, accountant or other professional retained by any holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement or any Underwriter, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information requested by any of them in connection with such Registration Statement.
3.1.9 Opinions and Comfort Letters. Upon request, the Company shall furnish to each holder of Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement a signed counterpart, addressed to such holder, of (i) any opinion of counsel to the Company delivered to any Underwriter and (ii) any comfort letter from the Company’s independent public accountants delivered to any Underwriter. In the event no legal opinion is delivered to any Underwriter, the Company shall furnish to each holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, at any time that such holder elects to use a prospectus, an opinion of counsel to the Company to the effect that the Registration Statement containing such prospectus has been declared effective and that no stop order is in effect.
3.1.10 Earnings Statement. The Company shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the Securities Act, and make available to its stockholders, as soon as practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of twelve (12) months, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.
3.1.11 Listing. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities included in any registration to be listed on such exchanges or otherwise designated for trading in the same manner as similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or designated or, if no such similar securities are then listed or designated, in a manner satisfactory to the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such registration.
3.1.12 Road Show. If the registration involves the registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $5,000,000, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any underwritten offering.
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3.2 Obligation to Suspend Distribution. Upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3.1.4(iv), or, in the case of a resale registration on Form S-3 pursuant to Section 2.2.4 hereof, upon any suspension by the Company, pursuant to a written insider trading compliance program adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, of the ability of all “insiders” covered by such program to transact in the Company’s securities because of the existence of material non-public information, each holder of Registrable Securities included in any registration shall immediately discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such holder receives the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3.1.4(iv) or the restriction on the ability of “insiders” to transact in the Company’s securities is removed, as applicable, and, if so directed by the Company, each such holder will deliver to the Company all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such holder’s possession, of the most recent prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such notice.
3.3 Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, any Piggy-Back Registration pursuant to Section 2.2, and any registration on Form S-3 effected pursuant to Section 2.2.4, and all expenses incurred in performing or complying with its other obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the Registration Statement becomes effective, including, without limitation: (i) all registration and filing fees; (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities); (iii) printing expenses; (iv) the Company’s internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees); (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities as required by Section 3.1.11; (vi) Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees; (vii) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses or costs associated with the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 3.1.9); (viii) the reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in connection with such registration and (ix) the reasonable fees and expenses of one legal counsel selected by the holders of a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such registration. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting discounts or selling commissions attributable to the Registrable Securities being sold by the holders thereof, which underwriting discounts or selling commissions shall be borne by such holders. Additionally, in an underwritten offering, all selling stockholders and the Company shall bear the expenses of the Underwriter pro rata in proportion to the respective amount of shares each is selling in such offering.
3.4 Information. The holders of Registrable Securities shall provide such information as may reasonably be requested by the Company, or the managing Underwriter, if any, in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, including amendments and supplements thereto, in order to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 2 and in connection with the Company’s obligation to comply with Federal and applicable state securities laws.
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4. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.
4.1 Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and each other holder of Registrable Securities, and each of their respective officers, employees, affiliates, directors, partners, members, attorneys and agents, and each person, if any, who controls an Investor and each other holder of Registrable Securities (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each, an “Investor Indemnified Party”), from and against any expenses, losses, judgments, claims, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement (or allegedly untrue statement) of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, or arising out of or based upon any omission (or alleged omission) to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or any violation by the Company of the Securities Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any such registration; and the Company shall promptly reimburse the Investor Indemnified Party for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred by such Investor Indemnified Party in connection with investigating and defending any such expense, loss, judgment, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such expense, loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus, final prospectus, or summary prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company, in writing, by such selling holder expressly for use therein. The Company also shall indemnify any Underwriter of the Registrable Securities, their officers, affiliates, directors, partners, members and agents and each person who controls such Underwriter on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification provided above in this Section 4.1.
4.2 Indemnification by Holders of Registrable Securities. Each selling holder of Registrable Securities will, in the event that any registration is being effected under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement of any Registrable Securities held by such selling holder, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and officers and each Underwriter (if any), and each other selling holder and each other person, if any, who controls another selling holder or such Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, insofar as such losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, or arise out of or are based upon any omission or the alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not misleading, if the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such selling holder expressly for use therein, and shall reimburse the Company, its directors and officers, and each other selling holder or controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with investigation or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action. Each selling holder’s indemnification obligations hereunder shall be several and not joint and shall be limited to the amount of any net proceeds actually received by such selling holder.
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4.3 Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Promptly after receipt by any person of any notice of any loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2, such person (the “Indemnified Party”) shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any other person for indemnification hereunder, notify such other person (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing of the loss, claim, judgment, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the failure by the Indemnified Party to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability which the Indemnifying Party may have to such Indemnified Party hereunder, except and solely to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced by such failure. If the Indemnified Party is seeking indemnification with respect to any claim or action brought against the Indemnified Party, then the Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to participate in such claim or action, and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with all other Indemnifying Parties, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to the Indemnified Party. After notice from the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnified Party of its election to assume control of the defense of such claim or action, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that in any action in which both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party are named as defendants, the Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (but no more than one such separate counsel) to represent the Indemnified Party and its controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Indemnified Party against the Indemnifying Party, with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by such Indemnifying Party if, based upon the written opinion of counsel of such Indemnified Party, representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, consent to entry of judgment or effect any settlement of any claim or pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which the Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such judgment or settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such claim or proceeding.
4.4 Contribution.
4.4.1 If the indemnification provided for in the foregoing Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 is unavailable to any Indemnified Party in respect of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to herein, then each such Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnified Parties and the Indemnifying Parties in connection with the actions or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability or action, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of any Indemnified Party and any Indemnifying Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by such Indemnified Party or such Indemnifying Party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
4.4.2 The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding Section 4.4.1.
4.4.3 The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.4, no holder of Registrable Securities shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the dollar amount of the net proceeds (after payment of any underwriting fees, discounts, commissions or taxes) actually received by such holder from the sale of Registrable Securities which gave rise to such contribution obligation. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
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5. RULE 144.
5.1 Rule 144. The Company covenants that it shall file any reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall take such further action as the holders of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rules may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission.
6. MISCELLANEOUS.
6.1 Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that, except as disclosed in the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-_____________), no person, other than the holders of the Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any of the Company’s share capital for sale or to include the Company’s share capital in any registration filed by the Company for the sale of share capital for its own account or for the account of any other person.
6.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such holder of Registrable Securities in conjunction with and to the extent of any transfer of Registrable Securities by any such holder. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties, to the permitted assigns of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities or of any assignee of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not party hereto other than as expressly set forth in Article 4 and this Section 6.2.
6.3 Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals or other communications (collectively, “Notices”) required or permitted to be given hereunder or which are given with respect to this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be personally served, delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, telex or facsimile, addressed as set forth below, or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Notice shall be deemed given on the date of service or transmission if personally served or transmitted by telegram, telex or facsimile; provided, that if such service or transmission is not on a business day or is after normal business hours, then such notice shall be deemed given on the next business day. Notice otherwise sent as provided herein shall be deemed given on the next business day following timely delivery of such notice to a reputable air courier service with an order for next-day delivery.
To the Company:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Attn: Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
with a copy via email to _______________________
and with a copy to:
Zarren Law Group, LLC
8 Park Center Court, Suite 100
Baltimore, Maryland 21117
Attn: Jason Harmon & Ken Winterbottom
To an Investor, to the address set forth below such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto.
6.4 Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible that is valid and enforceable.
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6.5 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
6.6 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including all agreements entered into pursuant hereto and all certificates and instruments delivered pursuant hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, understandings, negotiations and discussions between the parties, whether oral or written.
6.7 Modifications and Amendments. No amendment, modification or termination of this Agreement shall be binding upon the Company unless executed in writing by the Company. No amendment, modification or termination of this Agreement shall be binding upon the holders of the Registrable Securities unless executed in writing by the Sponsor (in its capacity as an Investor hereunder).
6.8 Titles and Headings. Titles and headings of sections of this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of any provision of this Agreement.
6.9 Waivers and Extensions. Any party to this Agreement may waive any right, breach or default which such party has the right to waive, provided that such waiver will not be effective against the waiving party unless it is in writing, is signed by such party, and specifically refers to this Agreement. Waivers may be made in advance or after the right waived has arisen or the breach or default waived has occurred. Any waiver may be conditional. No waiver of any breach of any agreement or provision herein contained shall be deemed a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach thereof nor of any other agreement or provision herein contained. No waiver or extension of time for performance of any obligations or acts shall be deemed a waiver or extension of the time for performance of any other obligations or acts.
6.10 Remedies Cumulative. In the event that the Company fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement to be observed or performed under this Agreement, the Investor or any other holder of Registrable Securities may proceed to protect and enforce its rights by suit in equity or action at law, whether for specific performance of any term contained in this Agreement or for an injunction against the breach of any such term or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Agreement or to enforce any other legal or equitable right, or to take any one or more of such actions, without being required to post a bond. None of the rights, powers or remedies conferred under this Agreement shall be mutually exclusive, and each such right, power or remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to any other right, power or remedy, whether conferred by this Agreement or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.
6.11 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, interpreted under, and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed within the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice-of-law provisions thereof that would compel the application of the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.
6.12 Waiver of Trial by Jury. Each party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right to a trial by jury in any action, suit, counterclaim or other proceeding (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of, connected with or relating to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby, or the actions of the Investor in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement hereof.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| INVESTORS: | ||
| BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
| JOSE ANTONIO BENGOCHEA | ||
[Signature Page to Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II Registration Rights Agreement]
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| /s/ William Caragol | |
| WILLIAM CARAGOL | |
[Signature Page to Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II Registration Rights Agreement]
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EXHIBIT A
Name and Address of Investors
To all Investors:
| Jose Antonio Bengochea |
| Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC |
The address for all Investors is: c/o Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, ___________________________.
[Signature Page to Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp.II Registration Rights Agreement]
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Exhibit 10.5.1
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT FOR PRIVATE WARRANTS BY SPONSOR
THIS PRIVATE PLACEMENT WARRANTS PURCHASE AGREEMENT, dated as of _____, 2025 (as it may from time to time be amended, this “Agreement”), is entered into by and between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Bengochea SPAC Sponsor II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Purchaser”).
WHEREAS, the Company intends to consummate a public offering of the Company’s units (the “Public Offering”), each unit consisting of one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (a “Share”), one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant exercisable for one Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per Share, and one right entitling the holder to receive one-eighth (1/8) of one Share upon consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, in each case, as set forth in the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 related to the Public Offering, File No. 333-___________(the “Registration Statement”); and
WHEREAS, the Purchaser has agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 4,580,000 warrants (or up to 4,805,000 warrants if the over-allotment option in connection with the Public Offering is exercised in full) (the “Sponsor Warrants”), each Sponsor Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per Share (subject to certain restrictions and limitations, as further set forth in the Registration Statement).
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained in this Agreement and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby, intending legally to be bound, agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
Section 1. Authorization, Purchase and Sale; Terms of the Sponsor Warrants.
A. Authorization of the Sponsor Warrants. The Company has duly authorized the issuance and sale of the Sponsor Warrants to the Purchaser.
B. Purchase and Sale of the Sponsor Warrants.
(i) As payment in full for the up to 4,805,000 Sponsor Warrants (the “Initial Sponsor Warrants”) being purchased under this Agreement, Purchaser shall pay $4,805,000 (the “Purchase Price”), by wire transfer of immediately available funds or by such other method as may be reasonably acceptable to the Company, to the trust account (the “Trust Account”) at a financial institution to be chosen by the Company, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee, at least one (1) business day prior to the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
(ii) In the event that the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part, Purchaser shall purchase up to an additional 225,000 Sponsor Warrants (the “Additional Sponsor Warrants”), in the same proportion as the amount of the over-allotment option that is exercised, and simultaneously with such purchase of Additional Sponsor Warrants, as payment in full for the Additional Sponsor Warrants being purchased hereunder, and at least one (1) business day prior to the closing of all or any portion of the over-allotment option, Purchaser shall pay $1.00 per Additional Sponsor Warrant, up to an aggregate amount of $225,000, by wire transfer of immediately available funds or by such other method as may be reasonably acceptable to the Company, to the Trust Account.
(iii) The closing of the purchase and sale of the Initial Sponsor Warrants shall take place simultaneously with the closing of the Public Offering (the “Initial Closing Date”). The closing of the purchase and sale of the Additional Sponsor Warrants, if applicable, shall take place simultaneously with the closing of all or any portion of the over-allotment option (such closing date, together with the Initial Closing Date, the “Closing Dates” and each, a “Closing Date”). The closing of the purchase and sale of each of the Initial Sponsor Warrants and the Additional Sponsor Warrants shall take place by remote exchange of electronic documents, or in such other manner or at such other place as may be agreed upon by the parties hereto.
C. Terms of the Sponsor Warrants.
(i) The Sponsor Warrants shall have their terms set forth in a Warrant Agreement to be entered into by the Company and a warrant agent, in connection with the Public Offering (a “Warrant Agreement”).
(ii) At or prior to the time of the Initial Closing Date, the Company and the Purchaser shall enter into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company will grant certain registration rights to the Purchaser relating to the Sponsor Warrants and the Shares underlying the Sponsor Warrants.
Section 2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. As a material inducement to the Purchaser to enter into this Agreement and purchase the Sponsor Warrants, the Company hereby represents and warrants to the Purchaser (which representations and warranties shall survive the Closing Dates) that:
A. Organization and Corporate Power. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, operating results or assets of the Company. The Company possesses all requisite corporate power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Warrant Agreement.
B. Authorization; No Breach.
(i) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Sponsor Warrants have been duly authorized by the Company as of the Closing Dates. This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms of the Warrant Agreement and this Agreement, the Sponsor Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms as of the Closing Dates.
(ii) The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the Sponsor Warrants, the issuance and sale of the Sponsor Warrants, the issuance of the Shares upon exercise of the Sponsor Warrants and the fulfillment of, and compliance with, the respective terms hereof and thereof by the Company, do not and will not as of the Closing Dates (a) conflict with or result in a breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of, (b) constitute a default under, (c) result in the creation of any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance upon the Company’s capital stock or assets under, (d) result in a violation of, or (e) require any authorization, consent, approval, exemption or other action by or notice or declaration to, or filing with, any court or administrative or governmental body or agency pursuant to the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the Company (in effect on the date hereof or as may be amended prior to completion of the contemplated Public Offering), or any material law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject, except for any filings required after the date hereof under federal or state securities laws.
C. Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the Warrant Agreement, the Sponsor Warrants will be duly and validly issued and the Shares issuable upon exercise of the Sponsor Warrants will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the Warrant Agreement, the Purchaser will have good title to the Sponsor Warrants and the Shares issuable upon exercise of such Sponsor Warrants, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (i) transfer restrictions hereunder and under the other agreements contemplated hereby, (ii) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws, and (iii) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the actions of the Purchaser.
D. Governmental Consents. No permit, consent, approval or authorization of, or declaration to or filing with, any governmental authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement or the consummation by the Company of any other transactions contemplated hereby. Section 3. Representations and Warranties of the Purchaser. As a material inducement to the Company to enter into this Agreement and issue and sell the Sponsor Warrants to the Purchaser, the Purchaser hereby represents and warrants to the Company (which representations and warranties shall survive the Closing Dates) that:
A. Organization and Requisite Authority. The Purchaser possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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B. Authorization; No Breach.
(i) This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Purchaser, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or law).
(ii) The execution and delivery by the Purchaser of this Agreement and the fulfillment of and compliance with the terms hereof by the Purchaser does not and shall not as of the Closing Dates conflict with or result in a breach by the Purchaser of the terms, conditions or provisions of any agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree to which the Purchaser is subject.
C. Investment Representations.
(i) The Purchaser is acquiring the Sponsor Warrants and, upon exercise of the Sponsor Warrants, the Shares issuable upon such exercise (collectively, the “Securities”), for the Purchaser’s own account, for investment purposes only and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, any public sale or distribution thereof.
(ii) The Purchaser is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and such Purchaser has not experienced a disqualifying event as enumerated pursuant to Rule 506(d) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.
(iii) The Purchaser understands that the Securities are being offered and will be sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Purchaser’s compliance with, the representations and warranties of the Purchaser set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Purchaser to acquire such Securities.
(iv) The Purchaser did not enter into this Agreement as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502(c) under the Securities Act.
(v) The Purchaser has been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities which have been requested by the Purchaser. The Purchaser has been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the executive officers and directors of the Company. The Purchaser understands that its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk and it has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the acquisition of the Securities.
(vi) The Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Securities by the Purchaser nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.
(vii) The Purchaser understands that: (a) the Securities have not been and are not being registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered for sale, sold, assigned or transferred unless (1) subsequently registered thereunder or (2) sold in reliance on an exemption therefrom; and (b) except as specifically set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to register the Securities under the Securities Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder. While such Purchaser understands that Rule 144 under the Securities Act 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, such Purchaser understands that Rule 144 includes an exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met: (i) the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; (ii) the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); (iii) the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and (iv) at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
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(viii) The Purchaser has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters, knowledge of the high degree of risk associated with investments in the securities of companies in the development stage such as the Company, is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Securities and is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities in the amount contemplated hereunder for an indefinite period of time. The Purchaser has adequate means of providing for its current financial needs and contingencies and will have no current or anticipated future needs for liquidity which would be jeopardized by the investment in the Securities. The Purchaser can afford a complete loss of its investment in the Securities.
Section 4. Conditions of the Purchaser’s Obligations. The obligations of the Purchaser to purchase and pay for the Sponsor Warrants are subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing Dates, of each of the following conditions:
A. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 2 shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing Dates as though then made.
B. Performance. The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by it on or before the Closing Dates.
C. No Injunction. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby, which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Warrant Agreement.
D. Warrant Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement. The Company shall have entered into a Warrant Agreement with a warrant agent (the “Warrant Agreement”) and the Registration Rights Agreement, each on terms satisfactory to the Purchaser.
E. Corporate Consents. The Company shall have obtained the consent of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Warrant Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Sponsor Warrants hereunder.
Section 5. Conditions of the Company’s Obligations. The obligations of the Company to the Purchaser under this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing Dates, of each of the following conditions:
A. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Purchaser contained in Section 3 shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing Dates as though then made.
B. Performance. The Purchaser shall have performed and complied with all agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by the Purchaser on or before the Closing Dates.
C. No Injunction. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby, which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Warrant Agreement.
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D. Warrant Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement. The Company shall have entered into the Warrant Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
E. Corporate Consents. The Company shall have obtained the consent of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Warrant Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Sponsor Warrants hereunder.
Section 6. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time after ____, 2025 upon the election by either the Company or a Purchaser entitled to purchase a majority of the Sponsor Warrants upon written notice to the other parties if the closing of the Public Offering does not occur prior to such date.
Section 7. Survival of Representations and Warranties. All of the representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing Dates.
Section 8. Definitions. Terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Registration Statement.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
A. Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors of the parties hereto whether so expressed or not. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein, the parties may not assign this Agreement, other than assignments by the Purchaser to affiliates thereof.
B. Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.
C. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, none of which need contain the signatures of more than one party, but all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
D. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a substantive part of this Agreement. The use of the word “including” in this Agreement shall be by way of example rather than by limitation.
E. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware.
F. Amendments. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or waived as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by all parties hereto.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement to be effective as of the date first set forth above.
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jose A. Bengochea | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jose A. Bengochea | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
[Signature Page to Subscription Agreement (Sponsor)]
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Exhibit 10.6
STOCK ESCROW AGREEMENT
This STOCK ESCROW AGREEMENT, dated as of _________, 2025 (“Agreement”), by and among Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (“Company”), the initial shareholders listed on the signature pages hereto (collectively, the “Initial Shareholders”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Escrow Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement, dated as of __________, 2025 (“Underwriting Agreement”), with D. Boral Capital, LLC (“Boral”) acting as representative of the underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which, among other matters, the Underwriters have agreed to purchase 25,000,000 units (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit (each, a “Unit”) consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), one half warrant, and one right to one-eighth (1/8) of one share of Common Stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination, all as more fully described in the Company’s Prospectus, as most recently amended as of _______, 2025 (“Prospectus”), comprising part of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-_____________) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Registration Statement”), declared effective on ________, 2025 (“Effective Date”).
WHEREAS, the Initial Shareholders have agreed as a condition of the sale of the Units to deposit their Insider Shares (as defined in the Prospectus), as set forth opposite their respective names on Exhibit A attached hereto (collectively “Escrow Shares”), in escrow as hereinafter provided.
WHEREAS, the Company and the Initial Shareholders desire that the Escrow Agent accept the Escrow Shares, in escrow, to be held and disbursed as hereinafter provided.
IT IS AGREED:
1. Appointment of Escrow Agent. The Company and the Initial Shareholders hereby appoint the Escrow Agent to act in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Escrow Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to act in accordance with and subject to such terms.
2. Deposit of Escrow Shares. On or prior to the date hereof, each of the Initial Shareholders delivered to the Escrow Agent certificates representing such Initial Shareholder’s respective Escrow Shares, together with applicable share powers, to be held and disbursed subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Each of the Initial Shareholders acknowledges that the certificate representing such Initial Shareholder’s Escrow Shares is legended to reflect the deposit of such Escrow Shares under this Agreement.
3. Disbursement of the Escrow Shares.
3.1 The Escrow Agent shall hold the Escrow Shares during the period (the “Escrow Period”) commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination (as described in the Registration Statement, hereinafter a “Business Combination”). The Company shall promptly provide notice of the consummation of a Business Combination to the Escrow Agent. The Company, or its successor, shall provide a written notice to the Escrow Agent when the condition (i)(y) is met. Upon completion of the Escrow Period, the Escrow Agent shall disburse such amount of each Initial Shareholder’s Escrow Shares (and any applicable share power) to such Initial Shareholder; provided, however, that if the Escrow Agent is notified by the Company pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof that the Company is being liquidated at any time during the Escrow Period, then the Escrow Agent shall promptly cancel the certificates representing the Escrow Shares; provided further, however, that if, within 180 days after the Company consummates an initial Business Combination, the Company (or the surviving entity) subsequently consummates a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the shareholders of such entity having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property, then the Escrow Agent will, upon receipt of a notice executed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary or other authorized officer of the Company, in form reasonably acceptable to the Escrow Agent, certifying that such transaction is then being consummated or such conditions have been achieved, as applicable, release the Escrow Shares to the Initial Shareholders. The Escrow Agent shall have no further duties hereunder after the disbursement or cancellation of the Escrow Shares in accordance with this Section 3.1.
3.2 Notwithstanding Section 3.1, if the Underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 3,750,000 Units of the Company in full within 45 days of the date of the Prospectus (as described in the Underwriting Agreement), the sponsor, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC (the “Sponsor”), agrees that the Escrow Agent shall return to the Company for cancellation, at no cost, the number of Escrow Shares held by it determined by multiplying (a) the product of (i) 1,607,143, by (b) a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 3,750,000 minus the number of shares of Common Stock purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 3,750,000. The Company shall promptly provide notice of the expiration or termination of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option and the number of Units, if any, purchased by the Underwriters in connection with their exercise thereof, and the applicable calculations of the number of Escrow Shares that shall be released for cancellation to the Escrow Agent.
4. Rights of Initial Shareholders in Escrow Shares.
4.1 Voting Rights as a Shareholder. Subject to the terms of the Insider Letters described in Section 4.4 hereof and except as herein provided, the Initial Shareholders shall retain all of their rights as shareholders of the Company during the Escrow Period, including, without limitation, the right to vote such shares.
4.2 Dividends and Other Distributions in Respect of the Escrow Shares. During the Escrow Period, all dividends payable in cash with respect to the Escrow Shares shall be paid to the Initial Shareholders, but all dividends payable in stock or other non-cash property (“Non-Cash Dividends”) shall be delivered to the Escrow Agent to hold in accordance with the terms hereof. As used herein, the term “Escrow Shares” shall be deemed to include the Non-Cash Dividends distributed thereon, if any.
4.3 Restrictions on Transfer. During the Escrow Period, the only permitted transfers of the Escrow Shares will be transfers, assignments or sales (i) among the Company’s initial stockholders or to the Company’s initial stockholders’ members, officers, directors, consultants or their affiliates, (ii) to a holder’s stockholders or members upon its liquidation, (iii) by bona fide gift to a member of the holder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is the holder or a member of the holder’s immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (iv) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (v) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (vi) to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination, or (vii) in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased, in each case (except for clause (vi) or with the Company’s prior consent) where the transferee agrees to the terms of this Agreement and to be bound by these transfer restrictions, but will retain all other rights as Company stockholders, including, without limitation, the right to vote their shares of common stock and the right to receive cash dividends, if declared.
4.4 Insider Letters. Each of the Initial Shareholders has executed a letter agreement with Boral and the Company, dated as indicated on Exhibit B hereto, and the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (“Insider Letter”), respecting the rights and obligations of such Initial Shareholder in certain events, including but not limited to the liquidation of the Company.
5. Concerning the Escrow Agent.
5.1 Good Faith Reliance. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment, and may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Escrow Agent), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which is believed by the Escrow Agent in good faith to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Escrow Agent shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement unless evidenced by a writing delivered to the Escrow Agent signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Escrow Agent are affected, unless it shall have given its prior written consent thereto.
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5.2 Indemnification. The Escrow Agent shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from and against any expenses, including counsel fees and disbursements, or loss suffered by the Escrow Agent in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding involving any claim which in any way, directly or indirectly, arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Escrow Agent hereunder, or the Escrow Shares held by it hereunder, other than expenses or losses arising from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Escrow Agent. Promptly after the receipt by the Escrow Agent of notice of any demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, the Escrow Agent shall notify the other parties hereto in writing. In the event of the receipt of such notice, the Escrow Agent, in its sole discretion, may commence an action in the nature of interpleader in an appropriate court to determine ownership or disposition of the Escrow Shares or it may deposit the Escrow Shares with the clerk of any appropriate court or it may retain the Escrow Shares pending receipt of a final, non-appealable order of a court having jurisdiction over all of the parties hereto directing to whom and under what circumstances the Escrow Shares are to be disbursed and delivered. The provisions of this Section 5.2 shall survive in the event the Escrow Agent resigns or is discharged pursuant to Sections 5.5 or 5.6 below.
5.3 Compensation. The Escrow Agent shall be entitled to reasonable compensation from the Company for all services rendered by it hereunder. The Escrow Agent shall also be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for all expenses paid or incurred by it in the administration of its duties hereunder including, but not limited to, all counsel, advisors’ and agents’ fees and disbursements and all taxes or other governmental charges.
5.4 Further Assurances. From time to time on and after the date hereof, the Company and the Initial Shareholders shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent such further documents and instruments and shall do or cause to be done such further acts as the Escrow Agent shall reasonably request to carry out more effectively the provisions and purposes of this Agreement, to evidence compliance herewith or to assure itself that it is protected in acting hereunder.
5.5 Resignation. The Escrow Agent may resign at any time and be discharged from its duties as escrow agent hereunder by its giving the other parties hereto written notice and such resignation shall become effective as hereinafter provided. Such resignation shall become effective at such time that the Escrow Agent shall turn over, to a successor escrow agent appointed by the Company and approved by the Representative, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, the Escrow Shares held hereunder. If no new escrow agent is so appointed within the 60-day period following the giving of such notice of resignation, the Escrow Agent may deposit the Escrow Shares with any court it reasonably deems appropriate.
5.6 Discharge of Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent shall resign and be discharged from its duties as escrow agent hereunder if so requested in writing at any time by the other parties hereto, jointly, provided, however, that such resignation shall become effective only upon acceptance of appointment by a successor escrow agent as provided in Section 5.5.
5.7 Liability. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Escrow Agent shall not be relieved from liability hereunder for its own gross negligence or its own willful misconduct.
5.8 Waiver. The Escrow Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Escrow Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
6. Miscellaneous.
6.1 Governing Law. This Agreement shall for all purposes be deemed to be made under and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction.
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6.2 Third Party Beneficiaries. Each of the Initial Shareholders hereby acknowledges that Boral is a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and this Agreement may not be modified or changed without the prior written consent of Boral.
6.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and, except as expressly provided herein, may not be changed or modified except by an instrument in writing signed by the party to the change, Boral and the Escrow Agent.
6.4 Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation thereof.
6.5 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the respective parties hereto and their legal representatives, successors and assigns, including the holders who receive the Escrow Shares pursuant to Section 4.3, if any.
6.6 Notices. Any notice or other communication required or which may be given hereunder shall be in writing and either be delivered personally or be mailed, certified or registered mail, or by private national courier service, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, and shall be deemed given when so delivered personally or, if mailed, two days after the date of mailing, as follows:
If to the Company, to:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Attention: Bill Caragol, Chief Financial Officer
with a copy via email to bill@ironhorseacquisition.com
If to a Shareholder, to his address set forth in Exhibit A.
and if to the Escrow Agent, to:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004-1561
Attention: Relationship Management
A copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) sent hereunder shall be sent to:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
Attn: Gaurav Verma
Email:
| and: | Loeb & Loeb LLP |
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
Attn: Alex Weniger-Araujo
Email: aweniger@loeb.com
The parties may change the persons and addresses to which the notices or other communications are to be sent by giving written notice to any such change in the manner provided herein for giving notice.
6.7 Liquidation of the Company. The Company shall give the Escrow Agent written notification of the liquidation and dissolution of the Company in the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the time period specified in the Prospectus.
[Signature Page Follows]
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WITNESS the execution of this Agreement as of the date first above written.
| COMPANY: | ||||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | ||||
| By: | ||||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | |||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||
| INITIAL SHAREHOLDERS: | ||||
| BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC | ||||
| By: | ||||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | |||
| Title: | Managing Member | |||
| ESCROW AGENT: | ||||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | ||||
| By: | /s/ | |||
| Name: | ||||
| Title: | ||||
[Signature Page to Stock Escrow Agreement]
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EXHIBIT A
Initial Shareholders
| Name and Address1 of Initial Shareholder | Number of Shares | Date of Insider Letter | ||||
| Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC 2 | 1,932,000 | December 27, 2023 | ||||
| 1 | The address of each Initial Shareholder is c/o, Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II |
| 2 | Each director and officer of the Company has beneficial ownership, in either their capacity as a director of the Company, their capacity as an officer of the Company, or their capacity as an investor (in their personal capacity) in the Sponsor, of certain shares of Common Stock within the ______________ shares held by the Sponsor, as further described in the Registration Statement. Accordingly, each director and officer of the Company is also entering into an Insider Letter (dated as of _______, 2025) with respect to such shares, although such shares will be directly held by the Sponsor until the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination. |
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EXHIBIT B
Insider Letter
Exhibit 10.1
[●], 2025
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
D. Boral Capital, LLC
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Re: Initial Public Offering
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into by and between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and D. Boral Capital, LLC, as Representative (the “Representative”) of the underwriters named on Schedule A thereto (the “Underwriters”), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the “IPO”) of the Company’s units (the “Units”), each comprised of one share of common stock of the Company, $0.0001 par value (the “Common Stock”), one half warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock, and one-eighth (1/8th) of one right, with each right to receive one share of Common Stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination. Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 16 hereof.
In order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the IPO, and in recognition of the benefit that such IPO will confer upon the undersigned as a shareholder of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees with the Company as follows:
1. If the Company solicits approval of its shareholders of a Business Combination, the undersigned will vote all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by him, her or it, whether acquired before, in or after the IPO, in favor of such Business Combination.
2. (a) Unless the Company’s shareholders are previously given the option to redeem their shares in connection with amending applicable documents to extend the time that the Company has to complete a Business Combination and the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 12 months from the closing of the Company’s IPO (or, in the event that the Company extended the period of time to consummate a business combination up to 18 months from the closing of the Company’s IPO. as specified in the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Charter”)), the undersigned shall take all reasonable steps to (i) cause the Trust Fund to be liquidated and distributed to the holders of the IPO Shares and (ii) cause the Company to liquidate as soon as reasonably practicable.
(b) The undersigned hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distribution of the Trust Fund and any remaining net assets of the Company as a result of such liquidation with respect to his, her or its Insider Shares (“Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim the undersigned may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Fund for any reason whatsoever.
| [3. (a) In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Fund, the undersigned agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claims, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever) which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by any target business or vendor or other person who is owed money by the Company for services rendered or products sold or contracted for, but only to expense does not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Fund; provided that such indemnity shall not apply if such target business, vendor or other person has executed an agreement waiving any claims against the Trust Fund.]1 the extent necessary to ensure that such loss, liability, claim, damage or |
(b) The undersigned agrees not to transfer, assign or sell any Private Warrants or Common Stock issuable upon exercise of any Private Warrants owned by the undersigned until thirty (30) days after the consummation of an initial Business Combination.
4. [In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination and must liquidate and its remaining net assets are insufficient to complete such liquidation, the undersigned agrees to advance such funds necessary to complete such liquidation and agrees not to seek recourse for such expenses.]2
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5. The undersigned will escrow all of his, her or its Insider Shares pursuant to the terms of a Stock Escrow Agreement, which the Company will enter into with the undersigned and an escrow agent acceptable to the Company.
7. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, the undersigned agrees to present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business (provided that such prospective target business has a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (net of deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination), until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations the undersigned might have.
8. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that prior to entering into a Business Combination with a target business that is affiliated with any Insiders of the Company or their affiliates, including any company that is a portfolio company of, or otherwise affiliated with, or has received financial investment from, an entity with which any Insider or their affiliates is affiliated, such transaction must be approved by a majority of the Company’s disinterested independent directors and the Company must obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that such Business Combination is fair to the Company’s unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view.
9. Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive and will not accept any compensation or other cash payment prior to, or for services rendered in connection with, the consummation of the Business Combination; provided that the Company shall be allowed to repay working capital loans made by the undersigned to the Company in cash upon consummation of the Business Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned and any affiliate of the undersigned shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying, investigating and consummating a Business Combination.
10. Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive a finder’s fee or any other compensation in the event the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned originates a Business Combination (provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, Bengochea SPAC Sponsors I LLC reserves the right to award a portion of its own shares of Common Stock of the Company for eventual allocation to other Insiders in the event of extraordinary contributions to the origination of a Business Combination, solely to the extent the same is permitted under the Company’s contractual arrangements and organizational documents and all applicable laws and regulations).
11. [The undersigned agrees to be a director or officer of the Company until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company. The undersigned’s biographical information previously furnished to the Company and the Representative is true and accurate in all material respects, does not omit any material information with respect to the undersigned’s biography and contains all of the information required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 401 of Regulation S-K, promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933.]3 The undersigned’s FINRA Questionnaire or/and Director and Officer Questionnaire previously furnished to the Company and the Representative is true and accurate in all material respects. The undersigned represents and warrants that:
(a) He, she or it has never had a petition under the federal bankruptcy laws or any state insolvency law been filed by or against (i) him, her or it. or any partnership in which he or she was a general partner at or within two years before the time of filing; or (ii) any corporation or business association of which he or she was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of such filing;
| 1 Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC only. |
| 2 Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC only. |
| 3 Only remove for Bengochea SPAC Sponsors I LLC. |
(b) He, she or it has never had a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer been appointed by a court for his business or property, or any such partnership;
(c) He, she or it has never been convicted of fraud in a civil or criminal proceeding;
(d) He, she or it has never been convicted in a criminal proceeding or named the subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and minor offenses);
(e) He, she or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining or otherwise limiting him, her or it from (i) acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any such activity; or (ii) engaging in any type of business practice; or (iii) engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of federal or state securities or federal commodities laws;
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(f) He, she, or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any federal or state authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than 60 days his, her or its right to engage in any activity described in 11(e)(i) above, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;
(g) He, she, or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC to have violated any federal or state securities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the SEC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;
(h) He, she, or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the CFTC to have violated any federal commodities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the CFTC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;
(i) He, she, or it has never been the subject of, or a party to, any federal, state or foreign judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of (i) any federal, state or foreign securities or commodities law or regulation, (ii) any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and desist order, or removal or prohibition order or (iii) any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity;
(j) He, she or it has never been the subject of, or party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, or any self-regulatory organization, any registered entity, or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member;
(k) He, she or it has never been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor: (i) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC; or (iii) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment advisor or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;
(l) He, she or it was never subject to a final order of a state or foreign securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state or foreign authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state or foreign insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal or foreign banking agency; the CFTC; or the National Credit Union Administration that is based on a violation of any law or regulation that prohibits fraudulent, manipulative, or deceptive conduct;
(m) He, she or it has never been subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, that, at the time of the sale of the Units, restrained or enjoined him, her or it from engaging or continuing to engage in any conduct or practice: (i) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions; or (iii) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;
(n) He, she or it has never been subject to any order of the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions that orders him, her or it to cease and desist from committing or causing a future violation of: (i) any scienter-based anti-fraud provision of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, Section 15(c) and Section 206(1) of the Advisers Act or any other rule or regulation thereunder; or (ii) Section 5 of the Securities Act;
(o) He, she or it has never filed (as a registrant or issuer), or been named as an underwriter in any registration statement or Regulation A offering statement filed with the SEC that was the subject of a refusal order, stop order, or order suspending the Regulation A exemption, or is, currently, the subject of an investigation or proceeding to determine whether a stop order or suspension order should be issued;
(p) He, she or it has never been subject to a United States Postal Service false representation order, or is currently subject to a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction with respect to conduct alleged by the United States Postal Service to constitute a scheme or device for obtaining money or property through the mail by means of false representations;
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(q) He, she or it is not subject to a final order of a state securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal banking agency; the CFTC; or the National Credit Union Administration that bars the undersigned from: (i) association with an entity regulated by such commission, authority, agency or officer; (ii) engaging in the business of securities, insurance or banking; or (iii) engaging in savings association or credit union activities;
(r) He, she or it is not subject to an order of the SEC entered pursuant to section 15(b) or 15B(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or section 203(e) or 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) that: (i) suspends or revokes the undersigned’s registration as a broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer or investment adviser; (ii) places limitations on the activities, functions or operations of, or imposes civil money penalties on, such person; or (iii) bars the undersigned from being associated with any entity or from participating in the offering of any penny stock; and
(s) He, she or it has never been suspended or expelled from membership in, or suspended or barred from association with a member of, a securities self-regulatory organization (e.g., a registered national securities exchange or a registered national or affiliated securities association) for any act or omission to act constituting conduct inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade.
12. The undersigned has full right and power, without violating any agreement by which he, she or it is bound, to enter into this letter agreement [and to serve as a Director and/or officer of the Company and consents to being named in the registration statement on Form S-l and prospectus filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, road show and any other materials as an officer and/or director of the Company, as applicable.
13. The undersigned hereby waives his, her or its right to exercise redemption rights with respect to any shares of Common Stock owned or to be owned by the undersigned, directly or indirectly, whether purchased by the undersigned prior to the IPO, in the IPO or in the aftermarket, and agrees that he, she or it will not seek redemption with respect to or otherwise sell, such shares in connection with any vote to approve a Business Combination with respect thereto, a vote to amend the provisions of the Company’s Charter, or a tender offer by the Company prior to a Business Combination.
14. The undersigned hereby agrees to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Company’s Charter with respect to the Company’s pre-Business Combination activities prior to the consummation of a Business Combination unless the Company offers holders of IPO Shares the right to receive their pro rata portion of the funds then held in the Trust Fund.
15. In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this letter agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators.
16. As used herein, (i) a “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, contractual arrangement, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities; (ii) “Insiders” shall mean all officers, directors and shareholders of the Company immediately prior to the IPO; (iii) “Insider Shares” shall mean all of the shares of Common Stock of the Company acquired by an Insider prior to the IPO and any shares of Common Stock underlying the Private Warrants; (iv) “IPO Shares” shall mean the shares of Common Stock issued in the Company’s IPO; (v) [“Private Warrants” shall mean (x) the Warrants purchased in the private placement taking place simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s IPO and (y) the additional Warrants that may be purchased in connection with the exercise of the over-allotment option by the underwriters in the IPO as described in the Registration Statement; (vi)]5 “Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form S-l filed by the Company with respect to the IPO; and (vii) “Trust Fund” shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Company’s IPO will be deposited.
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17. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this letter agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery, by facsimile transmission or by email transmission (with confirmation of receipt).
Bengochea SPAC Sponsors I LLC only.
If to the Representative:
D. Boral Capital, LLC
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention:
Email:
With a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
Attn: Mitchell Nussbaum, Esq.
If to the Company:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp.
P.O. Box 2506
Toluca Lake, CA 91610
Attn: Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
Email: jose@ironhorseacquisition.com
With a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:
Zarren Law Group, LLC
8 Park Center Court, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21117
Attn: Jason C. Harmon and Kenneth C. Winterbottom IV
Email: jharmon@zarrenlawgroup.com; kwinterbottom@zarrenlawgroup.com
18. No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other 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 shall be binding on the parties hereto and any successors and assigns thereof.
19. The undersigned acknowledges and understands that the Underwriters and the Company will rely upon the agreements, representations and warranties set forth herein in proceeding with the IPO.
[Signature Page Follows]
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Sincerely,
| By: | ||
| Name of Insider: |
Signature Page to Letter Agreement
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Exhibit 10.7
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
____________________, 2025
Bengochea SPAC Sponsors I LLC
| Re: Agreement with Respect to Administrative Services | |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter will confirm our agreement that, commencing on the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) for the initial public offering (the “IPO”) of securities of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) and continuing until the earlier of (i) the consummation by the Company of an initial business combination or (ii) 24 months from the date of the consummation by the Company of its IPO (in each case as described in the Registration Statement) (such earlier date hereinafter referred to as the “Termination Date”), Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC (the “Sponsor”) shall (a) make available to the Company certain office space and administrative and support services as may be required by the Company from time to time, and (b) arrange for certain services to be provided by its Chief Executive Officer and consultants to assist us with our search for a target business following our IPO, in exchange for which the Company shall pay the Sponsor the aggregate sum of $50,000 per month, in each case, starting on the Effective Date and continuing monthly thereafter until the Termination Date. The Sponsor hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies that may be set aside in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) to be established upon the consummation of the IPO (the “Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this letter constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements or representations, written or oral, between the parties hereto regarding the administrative services.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY:
BENGOCHEA SPAC SPONSORS II LLC
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Founder and Authorized Representative | ||
Exhibit 10.8
INDEMNITY AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of ____________, 2025, by and between Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned (“Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly held corporations as directors, officers or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such corporations.
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined below) from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among United States-based corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) and the Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) of the Company require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”). The Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement and reimbursement rights.
WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons.
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future.
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so protected against liabilities.
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter and Bylaws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.
WHEREAS, Indemnitee may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he or she be so indemnified.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. SERVICES TO THE COMPANY. Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as applicable, for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected, appointed or retained or until Indemnitee tenders his or her resignation, or is removed or dies. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as provided in Section 17. This Agreement, however, shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any
2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement:
(a) References to “agent” shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, to include such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or other official of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.
(b) The terms “Beneficial Owner” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below) as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:
(i) Acquisition of Stock by Third Party. Other than Bengochea SPAC Sponsors II LLC (the “Sponsor”) or an affiliate thereof, any Person (as defined below) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, unless (1) the change in the relative Beneficial Ownership of the Company’s securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, or (2) such acquisition was approved in advance by the Continuing Directors (as defined below) and such acquisition would not constitute a Change in Control under part (iii) of this definition;
(ii) Change in Board of Directors. Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board, and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors on the date hereof or whose election for nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively, the “Continuing Directors”), cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;
(iii) Corporate Transactions. The effective date of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization or other similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination: (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 51% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more Subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; (2) other than the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof, no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination) is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 15% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the surviving corporation except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (3) at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were Continuing Directors at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board of Directors, providing for such Business Combination;
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(iv) Liquidation. The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than factoring the Company’s current receivables or escrows due (or, if such approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale, or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions); or
(v) Other Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.
(d) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.
(e) “Delaware Court” shall mean the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.
(f) “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.
(g) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned Subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent.
(h) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(i) “Expenses” shall include all direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding (as defined below), including reasonable compensation for time spent by the Indemnitee for which he or she is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding (as defined below), including without limitation the principal, premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.
(j) References to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.
(k) “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters of corporate law and that neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements); or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding (as defined below) giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.
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(l) The term “Person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that “Person” shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.
(m) The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims), criminal, administrative or investigative or related nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party or a participant (as a witness or otherwise), by reason of his or her Corporate Status or by reason of any action (or failure to act) taken by him or of any action (or failure to act) on his part while acting as a director or officer of the Company, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement.
(n) The term “Subsidiary,” with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.
3. INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
4. INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that any court in which the Proceeding was brought or the Delaware Court shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, to be held harmless or to exoneration.
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5. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee was or is a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If the Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue, or matter on which the Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.
6. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee is a participant (as a witness or otherwise) in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, he or she shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith.
7. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS AND EXONERATION RIGHTS. Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, 5 or 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights shall be available under this Section 7 on account of Indemnitee’s conduct which constitutes a breach of Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, including an act or omission of Indemnitee not in good faith, or which involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law.
8. CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY.
(a) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification, hold harmless and/or exoneration rights provided for in this Agreement are unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying, holding harmless or exonerating Indemnitee, shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment, and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have at any time against Indemnitee.
(b) The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.
(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.
9. EXCLUSIONS. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement except for Section 27, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:
(a) for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity provision or otherwise;
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(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or
(c) except as otherwise provided in Sections 14(e)-(f) hereof, prior to a Change in Control, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.
10. ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, and to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, the Company shall pay the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee (or reasonably expected by Indemnitee to be incurred by Indemnitee within three months) in connection with any Proceeding within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, prior to the final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to be indemnified, held harmless or exonerated under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing a Proceeding to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. To the fullest extent required by applicable law, such payments of Expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon the Company’s receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of the Indemnitee, to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws of the Company, applicable law or otherwise. This Section 10(a) shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which an indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment is excluded pursuant to Section 9.
(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.
(c) The Company shall not settle any action, claim or Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense, judgment, fine, penalty or limitation that is not entitled to be indemnified under this Agreement on the Indemnitee without the Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
11. PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) Indemnitee agrees to promptly notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights, or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.
(b) Indemnitee may deliver to the Company a written application to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement. Such application(s) may be delivered from time to time and at such time(s) as Indemnitee deems appropriate in his or her sole discretion. Following such a written application for indemnification by Indemnitee, the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be determined according to Section 12(a) of this Agreement.
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12. PROCEDURE UPON APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) A determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be made in the specific case by one of the following methods, which shall be at the election of Indemnitee: (i) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, or (iii) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee. The Company will promptly advise Indemnitee in writing with respect to any determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or Expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.
(b) In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 12(a) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 12(b). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. If the Independent Counsel is selected by the Board, the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been received, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(b) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Delaware Court for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the Delaware Court, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 12(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).
(c) The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify and hold harmless such Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
13. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person, persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11(b) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
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(b) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 12 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a final judicial determination that any or all such indemnification is expressly prohibited under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith require(s) such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto.
(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself, favor or undermine the determination of, the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did or did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
(d) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors, officers or managers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member, or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member, by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member. The provisions of this Section 13(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed or found to have or have not met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
(e) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other director, officer, trustee, partner, managing member, fiduciary, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
14. REMEDIES OF INDEMNITEE.
(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is not timely made pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement within the timeline set forth in this Agreement, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5, 6, 7 or the last sentence of Section 12(a) of this Agreement within the timeline set forth in this Agreement, (v) a contribution payment is not made in a timely manner pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement, (vi) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3 or 4 of this Agreement is not made within the timeline set forth in this Agreement, or (vii) payment to Indemnitee pursuant to any hold harmless or exoneration rights under this Agreement or otherwise is not made within the timeline set forth in this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by the Delaware Court to such indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or advancement rights. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his or her option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Except as set forth herein, the provisions of Delaware law (without regard to its conflict of laws rules) shall apply to any such arbitration. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.
(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated to receive advances of Expenses under this Agreement and the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated and to receive advances of Expenses, as the case may be, and the Company may not refer to or introduce into evidence any determination pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement adverse to Indemnitee for any purpose. If Indemnitee commences a judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any advances pursuant to Section 10 until a final determination is made with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification (as to which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or lapsed).
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(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.
(d) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.
(e) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law against all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after the Company’s receipt of such written request) pay to Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any judicial proceeding or arbitration brought by Indemnitee (i) to enforce his or her rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement or any other indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement or contribution agreement or provision of the Charter or the Bylaws now or hereafter in effect; or (ii) for recovery or advances under any insurance policy maintained by any person for the benefit of Indemnitee, regardless of the outcome and whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration right, advancement, contribution or insurance recovery, as the case may be (unless such judicial proceeding or arbitration was not brought by Indemnitee in good faith).
(f) Interest shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee at the legal rate under Delaware law for amounts which the Company indemnifies, holds harmless or exonerates, contributes, reimburses, advances, or is obliged to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate, contribute, reimburse or advance for the period commencing with the date on which the Indemnitee requests such indemnification, to be held harmless, exonerated, contribution, reimbursement or advancement of any Expenses and ending with the date on which such payment is made to Indemnitee by the Company.
15. SECURITY. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent requested by the Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to the Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to the Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee.
16. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION; PRIORITY OF OBLIGATIONS.
(a) The rights of Indemnitee as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any Proceeding (regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) or claim, issue or matter therein arising out of, or related to, any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Charter, the Bylaws or this Agreement, then this Agreement (without any further action by the parties hereto) shall automatically be deemed to be amended to require that the Company indemnifies the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.
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(b) The DGCL and the Bylaws permit the Company to purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit, or surety bond (“Indemnification Arrangements”) on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against him or her or incurred by or on behalf of him or her or in such capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement or under the DGCL, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment, and maintenance of any such Indemnification Arrangement shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of the Indemnitee under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such Indemnification Arrangement.
(c) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, trustees, partners, managers, managing members, fiduciaries, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.
(d) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights. No such payment by the Company shall be deemed to relieve any insurer of its obligations.
(e) The Company’s obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payments or advancement of expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, (i) the Indemnitee shall have no obligation to reduce, offset, allocate, pursue or apportion any indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement, contribution or insurance coverage among multiple parties possessing such duties to Indemnitee prior to the Company’s satisfaction and performance of all its obligations under this Agreement, and (ii) the Company shall perform fully its obligations under this Agreement without regard to whether Indemnitee holds, may pursue or has pursued any indemnification, advancement, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or insurance coverage rights against any person or entity other than the Company.
(f) Notwithstanding anything contained herein, the Company is the primary indemnitor, and any indemnification or advancement obligation of the Sponsor, its affiliates or any other Person is secondary.
17. DURATION OF AGREEMENT. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee serves at the request of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto and any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.
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18. SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.
19. ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT.
(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company.
(b) Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Charter or Bylaws as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) The indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration and advancement of expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise at the Company’s request, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his or her spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.
(d) The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
(e) The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult of proof, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which he or she may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertakings in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by the Delaware Court, and the Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking.
20. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
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21. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:
(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.
(b) If to the Company, to:
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
Attn: Jose Antonio Bengochea, Chief Executive Officer
with a copy via email to ___________________________
or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee in writing by the Company.
22. APPLICABLE LAW AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country; (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court; and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial.
23. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
24. MISCELLANEOUS. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.
25. PERIOD OF LIMITATIONS. No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.
26. ADDITIONAL ACTS. If, for the validation of any of the provisions in this Agreement any act, resolution, approval or other procedure is required, the Company undertakes to cause such act, resolution, approval or other procedure to be affected or adopted in a manner that will enable the Company to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
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27. WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO TRUST ACCOUNT. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Indemnitee hereby agrees that he or she does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (each, a “Claim”) in or to any monies in the trust account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering for the benefit of the Company and holders of shares issued in such offering, and hereby waives any Claim he or she may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against such trust account for any reason whatsoever. For purposes of clarity, Indemnitee acknowledges and agrees that no monies held in the Trust Account may be used to indemnify Indemnitee for any purpose whatsoever.
28. MAINTENANCE OF INSURANCE. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain in effect during the entire period for which the Company is obligated to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement, one or more policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies to provide the officers/directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts and omissions and to ensure the Company’s performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. The Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director or officer under such policy or policies. In all such insurance policies, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide the Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors and officers.
(Signatures follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
| Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
15
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | / | ||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
16
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
| /s/ William Caragol | ||
| William Caragol | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
17
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
18
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
19
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY | |||
| IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| INDEMNITEE | ||
[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
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Exhibit 10.9
Securities Subscription Agreement
This securities subscription agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 29, 2024, by and between Bengochea Capital SPAC Sponsors II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Subscriber” or “you”), and Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company,” “we” or “us”). Pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company hereby accepts the offer the Subscriber has made to purchase 12,321,429 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Shares”), up to 1,607,143 of which are subject to forfeiture by you if the underwriters of the initial public offering (“IPO”) of units (“Units”) of the Company, do not fully exercise their over-allotment option (the “Over-allotment Option”). The Company and the Subscriber’s agreements regarding such Shares are as follows:
| 1. | Purchase of Securities. |
1.1 Purchase of Shares. For the sum of $25,000 (the “Purchase Price”), the Company hereby issues the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Subscriber hereby purchases the Shares from the Company, subject to forfeiture, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement. Concurrently with the Subscriber’s execution of this Agreement, the Company shall, record such issuance in the Subscriber’s name in the Company’s stock ledger. No stock certificate shall be issued for the Shares.
| 2. | Representations, Warranties and Agreements. |
2.1 Subscriber’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements. To induce the Company to issue the Shares to the Subscriber, the Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to the Company and agrees with the Company as follows:
2.1.1 No Government Recommendation or Approval. The Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the offering of the Shares.
2.1.2 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the formation and governing documents of the Subscriber, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Subscriber is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Subscriber is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Subscriber is subject.
2.1.3 Organization and Authority. The Subscriber is a Delaware limited liability company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Upon execution and delivery by you, this Agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of Subscriber, enforceable against Subscriber in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
2.1.4 Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. Subscriber is: (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Shares and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time because the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act (as defined below) and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Subscriber is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. Subscriber must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Shares are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. Subscriber is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Shares and to afford a complete loss of Subscriber’s investment in the Shares.
2.1.5 Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Subscriber has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, Subscriber has relied solely on Subscriber’s own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon Subscriber’s own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. Subscriber understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and Subscriber has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.1.6 Regulation D Offering. Subscriber represents that it is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and acknowledges the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to “accredited investors” within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or similar exemptions under state law.
2.1.7 Investment Purposes. The Subscriber is purchasing the Shares solely for investment purposes, for the Subscriber’s own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof. The Subscriber did not decide to enter into this Agreement as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act.
2.1.8 Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company. Subscribers understand the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act. Subscriber understands the Shares will be “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, and Subscriber understands that the certificates or book-entries representing the Shares will contain a legend in respect of such restrictions. If in the future the Subscriber decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Shares, such Shares may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only pursuant to: (i) registration under the Securities Act, or (ii) an available exemption from registration. Subscriber agrees that if any transfer of its Shares or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, Subscriber may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or an exemption, the Subscriber agrees not to resell the Shares. Subscriber further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to the Subscriber for the resale of the Shares until one year following consummation of the initial business combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
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2.1.9 No Governmental Consents. No governmental, administrative or other third-party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of Subscriber in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2 Company’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements. To induce the Subscriber to purchase the Shares, the Company hereby represents and warrants to the Subscriber and agrees with the Subscriber as follows:
2.2.1 Organization and Corporate Power. The Company is a Delaware corporation and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, operating results or assets of the Company. The Company possesses all requisite corporate power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2.2 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Certificate of Incorporation or By Laws of the Company, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject.
2.2.3 Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, the Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, the Subscriber will have or receive good title to the Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (a) transfer restrictions hereunder and other agreements to which the Shares may be subject which have been notified to the Subscriber in writing, (b) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws, and (c) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the actions of the Subscriber.
2.2.4 No Adverse Actions. There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened against or affecting the Company which: (i) seek to restrain, enjoin, prevent the consummation of or otherwise affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) question the validity or legality of any transactions or seeks to recover damages or to obtain other relief in connection with any transactions.
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| 3. | Forfeiture of Shares. |
3.1 Partial or No Exercise of the Over-allotment Option. In the event the Over-allotment Option granted to the underwriters of the IPO is not exercised in full, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that it (or, if applicable, it and any transferees of Shares) shall forfeit any and all rights to such number of Shares (up to an aggregate of 937,500 Shares and pro rata based upon the percentage of the Over-allotment Option exercised) such that immediately following such forfeiture, the Subscriber (and all other initial stockholders prior to the IPO, if any) will own an aggregate number of Shares, not including Shares issuable upon exercise of any warrants or any Common Stock purchased by Subscriber in the IPO or in the aftermarket equal to approximately 20% of the issued and outstanding Shares immediately following the IPO.
3.2 Termination of Rights as Stockholder. If any of the Shares are forfeited in accordance with this Section 3, then after such time the Subscriber (or successor in interest), shall no longer have any rights as a holder of such forfeited Shares, and the Company shall take such action as is appropriate to cancel such forfeited Shares.
3.3 Recording Share Adjustments In the event an adjustment to the number of Shares, if any, is required pursuant to this Section 3, then such adjustment shall be made in book-entry form in the stock ledger of the Company.
4. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions; Redemption Rights. In connection with the Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions by the Company from the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the “Trust Account”), in the event of a liquidation of the Company upon the Company’s failure to timely complete an initial business combination. For purposes of clarity, in the event the Subscriber purchases Shares in the IPO or in the aftermarket, any additional Shares so purchased shall be eligible to receive any liquidating distributions by the Company. However, in no event will the Subscriber have the right to redeem any Shares into funds held in the Trust Account upon the successful completion of an initial business combination.
| 5. | Restrictions on Transfer. |
5.1 Securities Law Restrictions. In addition to any restrictions to be contained in that certain letter agreement (commonly known as an “Insider Letter”) to be dated as of the closing of the IPO by and between Subscriber and the Company, Subscriber agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Shares proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company has received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction is exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
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5.2 Lock-up. Subscriber acknowledges that the Securities will be subject to lock-up provisions (the “Lock-up”) contained in the Insider Letter.
5.3 Restrictive Legends. Any certificates representing the Shares shall have endorsed thereon legends substantially as follows, or if the Shares are held in book entry form, the Company’s records shall be annotated to reflect the following legends with respect to the Shares:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND SUCH LAWS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL, IS AVAILABLE.”
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A LOCKUP AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP.”
5.4 Additional Shares or Substituted Securities. In the event of the declaration of a share dividend, the declaration of an extraordinary dividend payable in a form other than Shares, a spin-off, a share split, an adjustment in conversion ratio, a recapitalization or a similar transaction affecting the Company’s outstanding Shares without receipt of consideration, any new, substituted or additional securities or other property which are by reason of such transaction distributed with respect to any Shares subject to this Section 5 or into which such Shares thereby become convertible shall immediately be subject to this Section 5 and Section 3. Appropriate adjustments to reflect the distribution of such securities or property shall be made to the number and/or class of Shares subject to this Section 5 and Section 3.
5.5 Registration Rights. Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or they are registered pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be entered into with the Company prior to the closing of the IPO.
| 6. | Other Agreements. |
6.1 Further Assurances. Subscriber agrees to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement.
6.2 Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
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6.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Insider Letter and the Registration Rights Agreement, each substantially in the form to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 associated with the Company’s IPO, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the Subscriber and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. No statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of any kind not expressly set forth in this Agreement shall affect, or be used to interpret, change or restrict, the express terms and provisions of this Agreement.
6.4 Modifications and Amendments. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by all parties hereto.
6.5 Waivers and Consents. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by a written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.
6.6 Assignment. The rights and obligations under this Agreement may not be assigned by either party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party.
6.7 Benefit. All statements, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Agreement shall be binding on the parties hereto and shall inure to the benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each party hereto. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create any rights or obligations except among the parties hereto, and no person or entity shall be regarded as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
6.8 Governing Law. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of New York applicable to contracts wholly performed within the borders of such state, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof.
6.9 Severability. In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that any provision, or any portion thereof, contained in this Agreement shall be unreasonable or unenforceable in any respect, then such provision shall be deemed limited to the extent that such court deems it reasonable and enforceable, and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect. In the event that such court shall deem any such provision, or portion thereof, wholly unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
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6.10 No Waiver of Rights, Powers and Remedies. No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or remedy of such party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power or remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.
6.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Agreement or in any other agreement, certificate or instrument provided for or contemplated hereby, shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and any investigations made by or on behalf of the parties.
6.12 No Broker or Finder. Each of the parties hereto represents and warrants to the other that no broker, finder or other financial consultant has acted on its behalf in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on the other. Each of the parties hereto agrees to indemnify and save the other harmless from any claim or demand for commission or other compensation by any broker, finder, financial consultant or similar agent claiming to have been employed by or on behalf of such party and to bear the cost of legal expenses incurred in defending against any such claim.
6.13 Headings and Captions. The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.
6.14 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
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6.15 Construction. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
6.16 Mutual Drafting. This Agreement is the joint product of the Subscriber and the Company, and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
7. Voting and Tender of Shares. Subscriber agrees to vote the Shares in favor of an initial business combination that the Company negotiates and submits for approval to the Company’s stockholders and shall not seek redemption with respect to such Shares. Additionally, the Subscriber agrees not to tender any Shares in connection with a tender offer presented to the Company’s stockholders in connection with an initial business combination negotiated by the Company.
8. Indemnification. Each party shall indemnify the other against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing accurately sets forth our understanding and agreement, please sign the enclosed copy of this Agreement and return it to us.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II | |||
| By: | /s/ William J. Caragol | ||
| Name: | William J. Caragol | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Accepted and agreed as of the date first written above.
Bengochea Capital SPAC Sponsors II LLC
| By: | /s/ Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Name: | Jose Antonio Bengochea | ||
| Title: | Manager | ||
[Signature Page to Securities Subscription Agreement]
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Exhibit 14
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
1. Introduction
1.1 The Board of Directors of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) in order to:
(a) promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest;
(b) promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in other public communications made by the Company;
(c) promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;
(d) promote the protection of Company assets, including corporate opportunities and confidential information;
(e) promote fair dealing practices;
(f) deter wrongdoing; and
(g) ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.
1.2 All directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 10 (Reporting and Enforcement),
2. Honest and Ethical Conduct
2.1 The Company’s policy is to promote high standards of integrity by conducting its affairs honestly and ethically.
2.2 Each director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant and employee must act with integrity and observe the highest ethical standards of business conduct in his or her dealings with the Company’s suppliers, service providers, partners, competitors (i.e., other special purpose acquisition companies), employees and anyone else with whom he or she has contact in the course of performing his or her job.
3. Conflicts of Interest
3.1 A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s private interest (or the interest of a member of his or her family) interferes, or even appears to interfere, with the interests of the Company as a whole. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee, consultant, strategic advisor, officer or director (or a member of his or her family) takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work for the Company objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest also arise when an employee, consultant, strategic advisor, officer or director (or a member of his or her family) receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position in the Company.
3.2 Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants or employees or their family members are (a) of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances, and (b) are, as a result, expressly prohibited. For the avoidance of doubt, our directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants or employees or their affiliates may (but are not obligated to) make loans to the Company in order to assist the Company in meeting its working capital needs following the consummation of its initial public offering, as further described in the registration statement with respect to the Company’s initial public offering, and this Section 3 shall not prohibit such loans.
3.3 Whether or not a conflict of interest exists or will exist can be unclear. Conflicts of interest should be avoided unless specifically authorized as described in Section 3.4.
3.4 Persons other than directors and executive officers who have questions about a potential conflict of interest or who become aware of an actual or potential conflict should discuss the matter with, and seek a determination and prior authorization or approval from, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Audit Committee”).
Prior to the time of the Company’s initial business combination, directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees must seek determinations and prior authorizations or approvals of potential conflicts of interest exclusively from the Audit Committee. Following the Company’s initial business combination, the Board of Directors shall endeavor to update this Code in light of the Company’s newfound status as an operating company.
4. Compliance
4.1 Directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees should comply, both in letter and spirit, with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the cities, states and countries in which the Company operates. For the avoidance of doubt, prior to the time of the Company’s initial business combination, the only cities, states or countries that the Company is expected to operate in are Los Angeles, California and Toluca Lake, California, in the United States.
4.2 Although not all directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees are expected to know the details of all applicable laws, rules and regulations, it is important to know enough to determine when to seek advice from appropriate personnel. Questions about compliance should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer.
4.3 No director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant or employee may purchase or sell any Company securities (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include all units, warrants and shares of the Company) while in possession of material nonpublic information regarding the Company, nor may any director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant or employee purchase or sell another company’s securities while in possession of material nonpublic information regarding that company. It is against Company policies and illegal for any director, officer or employee to use material nonpublic information regarding the Company or any other company to:
(a) obtain profit for himself or herself; or
(b) directly or indirectly “tip” others who might make an investment decision on the basis of that information.
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5. Disclosure
5.1 The Company’s periodic reports and other documents filed with the SEC, including all financial statements and other financial information, must comply with applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules.
5.2 Each director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant and employee who contributes in any way to the preparation or verification of the Company’s financial statements and other financial information must ensure that the Company’s books, records and accounts are accurately maintained. Each director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant and employee must cooperate fully with the Audit Committee, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and the Company’s independent public accountants and counsel.
5.3 Each director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant and employee who is involved in the Company’s disclosure process must:
(a) be familiar with and comply with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting; and
(b) take all necessary steps to ensure that all filings with the SEC and all other public communications about the financial and business condition of the Company provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.
6. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets
6.1 All directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees should protect the Company’s assets (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include all aspects of the Company’s proprietary pipeline and network of prospective target companies for an initial business combination) and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the Company’s reputation and financial stability and are prohibited.
6.2 All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes, though incidental personal use is permitted. Any suspected incident of fraud or theft should be reported for investigation immediately.
6.3 The obligation to protect Company assets includes the Company’s proprietary information. Proprietary information includes (a) intellectual property such as trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and copyrights, (b) business and marketing plans, engineering and manufacturing ideas, designs, databases and records, (c) any nonpublic financial data or reports, and (d) all aspects of the Company’s proprietary pipeline and network of prospective target companies for an initial business combination. Unauthorized use or distribution of this information is prohibited and could also be illegal and result in civil or criminal penalties.
7. Corporate Opportunities
All directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees owe a duty to the Company to advance its interests when the opportunity arises. Directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees are prohibited from taking for themselves personally (or for the benefit of friends or family members) opportunities that are discovered through the use of Company assets, property, information or position. Directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees may not use Company assets, property, information or position for personal gain (including gain of friends or family members). In furtherance of this Section 7, all officers and directors of the Company agree to present to the Company all target business opportunities that have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Company’s trust account, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations they may have.
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8. Confidentiality
Directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees should maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted to them by the Company or by its suppliers, service providers or partners, except when disclosure is expressly authorized or is required or permitted by law. Confidential information includes all nonpublic information (regardless of its source) that might be of use to the Company’s competitors (i.e., other special purpose acquisition companies) or harmful to the Company or its suppliers, service providers or partners if disclosed.
9. Fair Dealing
Each director, officer and employee must deal fairly with the Company’s customers, suppliers, service providers, partners, competitors (i.e., other special purpose acquisition companies), employees and anyone else with whom he or she has contact in the course of performing his or her job. No director, officer or employee may take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of facts or any other unfair dealing practice.
10. Reporting and Enforcement
10.1 Reporting and Investigation of Violations.
(a) Actions prohibited by this Code involving directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants or employees must be reported to the Audit Committee.
(b) After receiving a report of an alleged prohibited action, the Audit Committee must promptly take (or cause its representatives to take) all appropriate actions necessary to investigate.
(c) All directors, officers, strategic advisors, consultants and employees are expected to cooperate in any internal or external investigation of misconduct.
10.2 Enforcement.
(a) The Company must ensure prompt and consistent action against violations of this Code.
(b) If, after investigating a report of an alleged prohibited action by a director, officer, strategic advisor, consultant or employee, the Audit Committee determines that a violation of this Code has occurred, the Audit Committee will report such determination to the Board of Directors.
(c) Upon receipt of a determination that there has been a violation of this Code, the Board of Directors will take such preventative or disciplinary action as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, reassignment, demotion, dismissal and, in the event of criminal conduct or other serious violations of the law, notification of appropriate governmental authorities.
10.3 Waivers.
(a) The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, waive any violation of this Code.
(b) Any waiver for a director or an executive officer shall be disclosed as required by SEC and New York Stock Exchange rules.
10.4 Prohibition on Retaliation.
The Company does not tolerate acts of retaliation against any director, officer or employee who makes a good faith report of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.
* * * * *
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Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated January 17, 2025 with respect to the audited financial statements of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II. (the “Company”) as of November 30, 2024 and for the period from November 26, 2024 (inception) through November 30, 2024. Our report contains an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
We also consent to the references to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ MaloneBailey, LLP
www.malonebailey.com
Houston, Texas
January 17, 2025
Exhibit 23.3
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: January 17, 2025 |
/s/ Melissa Escobar |
| Name: Melissa Escobar |
Exhibit 23.4
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: January 17, 2025 |
/s/ Tarron Hecox |
| Name: Tarron Hecox |
Exhibit 23.5
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: January 17, 2025 |
/s/ Dr. Constantino Mendieta |
| Name: Dr. Constantino Mendieta |
Exhibit 99.1
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | STATUS |
The Audit Committee (the “Committee”) is a committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. (the “Company”).
| II. | PURPOSE |
The Committee is appointed by the Board for the primary purposes of:
| ● | Performing the Board’s oversight responsibilities as they relate to the Company’s accounting policies and internal controls, financial reporting practices and legal and regulatory compliance, including, among other things: |
| ● | the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements; |
| ● | the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; |
| ● | review of the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence; and |
| ● | the performance of the Company’s internal audit function and the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | Maintaining, through regularly scheduled meetings, a line of communication between the Board and the Company’s financial management, internal auditors and independent registered public accounting firm, including providing such parties with appropriate opportunities to meet separately and privately with the Committee on a periodic basis, and | |
| ● | Preparing the report to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, as required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) rules. |
| III. | COMPOSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS |
The Committee shall be appointed by the Board and shall be comprised of three or more Directors (as determined from time to time by the Board), each of whom shall meet the independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”), the listing standards of the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) and all other applicable laws.
The chairperson of the Committee shall be designated by the Board, provided that if the Board does not so designate a chairperson, the members of the Committee, by a majority vote, may designate a chairperson.
Any vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by majority vote of the Board. No member of the Committee shall be removed except by majority vote of the Board.
Each member of the Committee shall be financially literate and at least one member of the Committee shall have past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting or any other comparable experience or background which results in the individual’s financial sophistication, including being or having been a chief executive officer, chief financial officer or other senior officer with financial oversight responsibilities, as each such qualification is interpreted by the Board in its business judgment. In addition, at least one member of the Committee shall be an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined by the SEC pursuant to SOX.
| IV. | MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE |
The Committee shall meet as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities. The Committee, in its discretion, may ask members of management or others to attend its meetings (or portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as necessary. The Committee is governed by the same rules regarding meetings (including meetings in person or by telephone, videoconferencing software or other similar communications equipment), action without meetings, notice, waiver of notice, and quorum and voting requirements as are applicable to the Board.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings.
| V. | RESPONSIBILITIES |
In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Committee’s policies and procedures should remain flexible, so that it may be in a position to best address, react or respond to changing circumstances or conditions. The following duties and responsibilities are within the authority of the Committee and the Committee shall, consistent with and subject to applicable law and rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, Nasdaq, or any other applicable regulatory authority.
The Committee will:
A. Review and discuss with the independent registered public accounting firm their annual audit plan, including the timing and scope of audit activities, and monitor such plan’s progress and results during the year.
B. Review and discuss the annual audited financial statements and the Company’s disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. In connection with such review, the Committee will:
| ● | Discuss with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 (as may be modified or supplemented) and the matters in the written disclosures required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence; |
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| ● | Review significant changes in accounting or auditing policies; | |
| ● | Review with the independent registered public accounting firm any problems or difficulties encountered in the course of their audit, including any change in the scope of the planned audit work and any restrictions placed on the scope of such work and management’s response to such problems or difficulties; | |
| ● | Review with the independent registered public accounting firm, management and the senior internal auditing executive the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls, and any significant findings and recommendations with respect to such controls; | |
| ● | Review reports required to be submitted by the independent registered public accounting firm concerning: (a) all critical accounting policies and practices used; (b) all alternative treatments of financial information within U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) that have been discussed with management, the ramifications of such alternatives, and the accounting treatment preferred by the independent registered public accounting firm; (c) any other material written communications with management and (d) any material financial arrangements of the Company which do not appear on the financial statements of the Company; | |
| ● | Review (a) major issues regarding accounting principles and financial statement presentations, including any significant changes in the Company’s selection or application of accounting principles, and major issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies; and (b) analyses prepared by management and/or the independent registered public accounting firm setting forth significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, including analysis of the effects of alternative GAAP methods on the financial statements and the effects of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the financial statements of the Company; and | |
| ● | Discuss policies and procedures concerning earnings press releases and review the type and presentation of information to be included in earnings press releases (paying particular attention to any use of “pro forma” or “adjusted” non-GAAP information), as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. |
C. Review and discuss the quarterly financial statements and the Company’s disclosures provided in periodic quarterly reports including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” with management, the senior internal auditing executive and the independent registered public accounting firm.
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D. Oversee the external audit coverage. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm are ultimately accountable to the Committee, which has the direct authority and responsibility to appoint, retain, compensate, terminate, select, evaluate and, where appropriate, replace the independent registered public accounting firm. In connection with its oversight of the external audit coverage, the Committee will have authority to:
| ● | Appoint and replace (subject to stockholder approval, if deemed advisable by the Board) the independent registered public accounting firm; | |
| ● | Approve the engagement letter and the fees to be paid to the independent registered public accounting firm; | |
| ● | Pre-approve all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm and the related fees for such services other than prohibited non-auditing services as promulgated under rules and regulations of the SEC (subject to the inadvertent de minimus exceptions set forth in SOX and the SEC rules); | |
| ● | Monitor and obtain confirmation and assurance as to the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence, including ensuring that they submit on a periodic basis (not less than annually) to the Committee a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Company. The Committee is responsible for actively engaging in a dialogue with the independent registered public accounting firm with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the independent registered public accounting firm and for taking appropriate action in response to the independent registered public accounting firm’s report to satisfy itself of their independence; | |
| ● | At least annually, obtain and review a report by the independent registered public accounting firm describing: the firm’s internal quality-control procedures; any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the 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 any such issues; and to assess the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence, all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Company; | |
| ● | Meet with the independent registered public accounting firm prior to the annual audit to discuss planning and staffing of the audit; | |
| ● | Review and evaluate the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm, as the basis for a decision to reappoint or replace the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | Set clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm, including but not limited to, as required by all applicable laws and listing rules; | |
| ● | Setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
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| ● | Assure regular rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit, as required by SOX, and consider whether rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm is required to ensure independence; | |
| ● | Engage in a dialogue with the independent registered public accounting firm to confirm that audit partner compensation is consistent with applicable SEC rules; | |
| ● | Review and discuss with the independent registered public accounting firm the results of the year-end audit of the Company, including any comments or recommendations of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and, based on such review and discussions and on such other considerations as it determines appropriate, recommend to the Board whether the Company’s financial statements should be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K; | |
| ● | Take, or recommend that the Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm; and | |
| ● | Monitor compliance by the Company of the employee conflict of interest requirements contained in SOX and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder. |
E. Oversee internal audit coverage. In connection with its oversight responsibilities, the Committee will:
| ● | Review the appointment or replacement of the senior internal auditing executive; | |
| ● | Review, in consultation with management, the independent registered public accounting firm and the senior internal auditing executive, the plan and scope of internal audit activities, and, when deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee, assign additional internal audit projects to appropriate personnel; | |
| ● | Review the Committee’s level of involvement and interaction with the Company’s internal audit function, including the Committee’s line of authority and role in appointing and compensating employees in the internal audit function; | |
| ● | Review internal audit activities, budget, compensation and staffing; and | |
| ● | Review significant reports to management prepared by the internal auditing department and management’s responses to such reports. |
F. Receive periodic reports from the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, management and director of the Company’s internal auditing department to assess the impact on the Company of significant accounting or financial reporting developments that may have a bearing on the Company.
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G. Review with the independent registered public accounting firm and the senior internal auditing executive the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s accounting and internal controls policies and procedures and any significant findings and recommendations with respect to such controls.
H. Review with the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and independent registered public accounting firm, periodically, the following:
| ● | all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | |
| ● | any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
I. Resolve any differences in financial reporting between management and the independent registered public accounting firm.
J. Establish procedures for (i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters, and (iii) the receipt, retention and treatment of reports of evidence of a material violation made by attorneys appearing and practicing before the SEC in the representation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or reports made by the Company’s chief executive officer in relation thereto.
K. Discuss policies and guidelines to govern the process by which risk assessment and risk management is undertaken.
L. Meet (a) periodically with management to review and assess the Company’s major financial risk exposures and the manner in which such risks are being monitored and controlled, and (b) periodically (not less than annually) in separate executive session with each of the chief financial officer, the senior internal auditing executive, and the independent registered public accounting firm.
M. Review and approve all “related party transactions” requiring disclosure under SEC Regulation S-K, Item 404, in accordance with the policy set forth in Section 7 below.
N. Review the Company’s policies relating to the ethical handling of conflicts of interest and review past or proposed transactions between the Company and members of management as well as policies and procedures with respect to officers’ expense accounts and perquisites, including the use of corporate assets. The Committee shall consider the results of any review of these policies and procedures by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
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O. Review and approve in advance any services provided by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Company’s executive officers or members of their immediate family.
P. Review the Company’s program to monitor compliance with the Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”), and meet periodically with the Company’s Compliance Committee to discuss compliance with the Code.
Q. Establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of reports of evidence of a material violation made by attorneys appearing and practicing before the SEC in the representation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or reports made by the Company’s chief executive officer in relation thereto.
R. Approve reimbursement of expenses incurred by management in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses.
S. Review periodically with the Company’s outside legal counsel (i) legal and regulatory matters which may have a material effect on the financial statements, and (ii) corporate compliance policies or codes of conduct.
T. As it determines necessary to carry out its duties, engage and obtain advice and assistance from outside legal, accounting or other advisers, the cost of such independent expert advisors to be borne by the Company.
U. (a) Report regularly to the Board with respect to Committee activities, and (b) prepare the report of the Committee required by the rules of the SEC to be included in the proxy statement for each annual meeting.
V. Review and reassess from time to time, and in any event in advance of each year’s annual meeting, the adequacy of this Charter and recommend any proposed changes to the Board.
W. Monitor compliance, on a regularly scheduled basis, with the terms of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Offering”), as set forth in the Company’s prospectus with respect thereto, and, if any noncompliance is identified, promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise cause the Company to come into compliance with the terms of the Offering.
X. Review 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.
Y. Determine the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work.
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Z. On a quarterly basis, review and approve all payments made to the Company’s existing holders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates.
| VI. | PROCEDURES |
| A. | Action. |
The Committee shall act on the affirmative vote a majority of members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Without a meeting, the Committee may act by unanimous written consent of all members. However, the Committee may delegate to one or more of its members the authority to grant pre-approvals of audit and non-audit services, provided the decision is reported to the full Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
| B. | Fees. |
The Company shall provide for appropriate funding, as determined by the Committee, for payment of compensation: (a) to outside legal, accounting or other advisors employed by the Committee; and (b) for ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.
| C. | Limitations. |
While the Committee has the responsibilities and powers set forth in this Charter, it is not the duty of the Committee to plan or conduct audits or to determine that the Company’s financial statements are complete and accurate and are in accordance with GAAP. This is the responsibility of management and the independent registered public accounting firm.
| VII. | RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS POLICY. |
| A. | Definitions. |
A “Related Party Transaction” is any transaction directly or indirectly involving any Related Party that would need to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Under Item 404(a), the Company is required to disclose any transaction occurring since the beginning of the Company’s last fiscal year, or any currently proposed transaction, involving the Company where the amount involved exceeds $120,000, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related Party Transaction” also includes any material amendment or modification to an existing Related Party Transaction.
“Related Party” means any of the following:
| ● | a director (which term when used herein includes any director nominee); | |
| ● | an executive officer; |
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| ● | a person known by the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s common stock (a “5% stockholder”); or | |
| ● | a person known by the Company to be an immediate family member of any of the foregoing. |
“Immediate family member” means a child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of such director, executive officer, nominee for director or beneficial owner, and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of such director, executive officer, nominee for director or beneficial owner.
| B. | Identification of Potential Related Party Transactions. |
Related Party Transactions will be brought to management’s and the Board’s attention in a number of ways. Each of the Company’s directors and executive officers shall inform the Chairman of the Committee of any potential Related Party Transactions. In addition, each such director and executive officer shall complete a questionnaire on an annual basis designed to elicit information about any potential Related Party Transactions.
Any potential Related Party Transactions that are brought to the Committee’s attention shall be analyzed by the Committee, in consultation with outside counsel or members of management, as appropriate, to determine whether the transaction or relationship does, in fact, constitute a Related Party Transaction requiring compliance with this Policy.
| C. | Review and Approval of Related Party Transactions. |
At each of its meetings, the Committee shall be provided with the details of each new, existing or proposed Related Party Transaction, including the terms of the transaction, any contractual restrictions that the Company has already committed to, the business purpose of the transaction, and the benefits to the Company and to the relevant Related Party. In determining whether to approve a Related Party Transaction, the Committee shall consider, among other factors, the following factors to the extent relevant to the Related Party Transaction:
| ● | whether the terms of the Related Party Transaction are fair to the Company and on the same basis as would apply if the transaction did not involve a Related Party; | |
| ● | whether there are business reasons for the Company to enter into the Related Party Transaction; | |
| ● | whether the Related Party Transaction would impair the independence of an outside director; |
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| ● | whether the Related Party Transaction would present an improper conflict of interest for any director or executive officer of the Company, taking into account the size of the transaction, the overall financial position of the director, executive officer or Related Party, the direct or indirect nature of the director’s, executive officer’s or Related Party’s interest in the transaction and the ongoing nature of any proposed relationship, and any other factors the Committee deems relevant; and | |
| ● | any pre-existing contractual obligations. |
Any member of the Committee who has an interest in the transaction under discussion shall abstain from voting on the approval of the Related Party Transaction, but may, if so requested by the Chairman of the Committee, participate in some or all of the Committee’s discussions of the Related Party Transaction. Upon completion of its review of the transaction, the Committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the Related Party Transaction.
A Related Party Transaction entered into without pre-approval of the Committee shall not be deemed to violate this Policy, or be invalid or unenforceable, so long as the transaction is brought to the Committee as promptly as reasonably practical after it is entered into or after it becomes reasonably apparent that the transaction is covered by this Policy.
A Related Party Transaction entered into prior to the effective date of this Charter shall not be required to be reapproved by the Committee.
| VIII. | INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES; OUTSIDE ADVISERS. |
The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committee’s scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the Company’s expense, such independent counsel or other consultants or advisers as it deems necessary.
While the Committee has the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, the Committee is not responsible for preparing or certifying the financial statements, for planning or conducting the audit, or for determining whether the Company’s financial statements are complete and accurate and are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
In fulfilling their responsibilities hereunder, it is recognized that members of the Committee are not full-time employees of the Company, it is not the duty or responsibility of the Committee or its members to conduct “field work” or other types of auditing or accounting reviews or procedures or to set auditor independence standards, and each member of the Committee shall be entitled to rely on (i) the integrity of those persons and organizations within and outside the Company from which it receives information and (ii) the accuracy of the financial and other information provided to the Committee absent actual knowledge to the contrary.
Nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of the members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
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| IX. | ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SHELL COMPANY STATUS |
While the members of the Committee have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
Additionally, while the Committee has adopted this Charter with a view towards codifying, advancing and implementing certain best practices with respect to its and the Company’s operations, it is also understood that the Company is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of consummating an initial business combination with one or more target companies (the “De-SPAC”) and that, prior to the de-SPAC, the Company is a blank check company with limited operations. Accordingly, certain duties and responsibilities described in this Charter may not be applicable or practicable for the Committee to implement prior to the de-SPAC.
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Exhibit 99.2
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE |
The purposes of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) shall be to oversee the Company’s compensation and employee benefit plans and practices, including its executive compensation plans, and its incentive-compensation and equity-based plans; to review and discuss with management the Company’s compensation discussion and analysis (“CD&A”) to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”); to prepare the Compensation Committee Report as required by the rules of the SEC; and to perform such further functions as may be consistent with this Charter or assigned by applicable law, the Company’s organizational documents or the Board.
| II. | COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE |
The Committee shall consist of two or more directors as determined from time to time by the Board. Each member of the Committee shall be qualified to serve on the Committee pursuant to the requirements of the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”), and any additional requirements that the Board deems appropriate. Members of the Committee shall also qualify as “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The chairperson of the Committee shall be designated by the Board, provided that if the Board does not so designate a chairperson, the members of the Committee, by majority vote, may designate a chairperson. Each Committee member shall have one vote. Any vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by majority vote of the Board. No member of the Committee shall be removed except by majority vote of the Board.
| III. | MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES OF THE COMMITTEE |
The Committee shall meet as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities. The Committee, in its discretion, may ask members of management or others to attend its meetings (or portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as necessary, provided, that the Chief Executive Officer of the Company may not be present during any portion of a Committee meeting in which deliberation or any vote regarding his or her compensation occurs.
The Committee is governed by the same rules regarding meetings (including meetings in person or by telephone, videoconferencing software or other similar communications equipment), action without meetings, notice, waiver of notice, and quorum and voting requirements as are applicable to the Board.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings and shall report regularly to the Board on its activities, as appropriate.
| IV. | DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE |
| A. | Executive Compensation |
The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities with respect to the Company’s executive compensation plans:
(a) To review at least annually the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans, and amend, or recommend that the Board amend, these goals and objectives if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(b) To review at least annually the Company’s executive compensation plans in light of the Company’s goals and objectives with respect to such plans, and, if the Committee deems it appropriate, adopt, or recommend to the Board the adoption of, new, or the amendment of existing, executive compensation plans.
(c) To evaluate annually the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans, and, either as a Committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by the Board), determine and approve the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation level based on this evaluation. In determining the long-term incentive component of the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, the Committee shall consider factors as it determines relevant, which may include, for example, the Company’s performance and relative stockholder return, the value of similar awards to chief executive officers of comparable companies, and the awards given to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company in past years. The Committee may discuss the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation with the Board if it chooses to do so.
(d) To evaluate annually the performance of the other executive officers of the Company in light of the goals and objectives of the Company’s executive compensation plans, and either as a Committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by the Board), determine and approve the compensation of such other executive officers. To the extent that long-term incentive compensation is a component of such executive officer’s compensation, the Committee shall consider all relevant factors in determining the appropriate level of such compensation, including the factors applicable with respect to the Chief Executive Officer.
(e) To evaluate annually the appropriate level of compensation for Board and Committee service by non-employee directors.
(f) To review and recommend to the Board the adoption of or changes to the compensation of the Company’s independent directors.
(g) To review and approve any severance or termination arrangements to be made with any executive officer of the Company.
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(h) To perform such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Board or the Committee under the terms of any executive compensation plan.
(i) To review perquisites or other personal benefits to the Company’s executive officers and directors and recommend any changes to the Board.
(j) To consider the results of the most recent stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation as required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act, and, to the extent the Committee determines it appropriate to do so, take such results into consideration in connection with the review and approval of executive officer compensation.
(k) To review and discuss with management the Company’s CD&A, and based on that review and discussion, to recommend to the Board that the CD&A be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K.
(l) To review compensation arrangements for the Company’s employees to evaluate whether incentive and other forms of pay encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking, and review and discuss, at least annually, the relationship between risk management policies and practices, corporate strategy and the Company’s compensation arrangements.
(m) To the extent it deems necessary, review and approve the terms of any compensation “clawback” or similar policy or agreement between the Company and the Company’s executive officers or other employees subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(n) To review, recommend to the Board, and administer all plans that require “disinterested administration” under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
(o) To prepare the Compensation Committee Report in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC for inclusion in the Company’s annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K.
(p) To retain (at the Company’s expense) outside consultants and obtain assistance from members of management as the Committee deems appropriate in the exercise of its authority.
(q) To perform such other functions as assigned by law, the Company’s organizational documents or the Board.
(r) To make reports and recommendations to the Board within the scope of its functions and advise the officers of the Company regarding various personnel matters as may be raised with the Committee.
(s) To approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for the Company’s executive officers.
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Committee shall have sole discretion and authority with respect to any action regarding compensation payable to the Chief Executive Officer or other executive officers of the Company that the Committee intends to constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
| B. | General Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans |
The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities with respect to the Company’s general compensation and employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans:
(a) To review at least annually the goals and objectives of the Company’s general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans, and amend, or recommend that the Board amend, these goals and objectives if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(b) To review at least annually the Company’s general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans, in light of the goals and objectives of these plans, and recommend that the Board amend these plans if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(c) To review all equity-compensation plans to be submitted for stockholder approval under the Nasdaq listing standards, and to review and, in the Committee’s sole discretion, approve all equity-compensation plans that are exempt from such stockholder approval requirement.
(d) To approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for the Company’s employees.
(e) To perform such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Board or the Committee under the terms of any compensation or other employee benefit plan, including any incentive-compensation or equity-based plan.
| V. | ROLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
The Chief Executive Officer may make, and the Committee may consider, recommendations to the Committee regarding the Company’s compensation and employee benefit plans and practices, including its executive compensation plans, its incentive-compensation and equity-based plans with respect to executive officers (other than the Chief Executive Officer) and the Company’s director compensation arrangements.
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| VI. | DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY |
The Committee may form subcommittees for any purpose that the Committee deems appropriate and may delegate to such subcommittees such power and authority as the Committee deems appropriate; provided, however, that no subcommittee shall consist of fewer than two members; and provided further that the Committee shall not delegate to a subcommittee any power or authority required by any law, regulation or listing standard to be exercised by the Committee as a whole.
| VII. | EVALUATION OF THE COMMITTEE |
The Committee shall, no less frequently than annually, evaluate its performance. In conducting this review, the Committee shall evaluate whether this Charter appropriately addresses the matters that are or should be within its scope and shall recommend such changes as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Committee shall address all matters that the Committee considers relevant to its performance, including at least the following: the adequacy, appropriateness and quality of the information and recommendations presented by the Committee to the Board, the manner in which they were discussed or debated, and whether the number and length of meetings of the Committee were adequate for the Committee to complete its work in a thorough and thoughtful manner.
The Committee shall deliver to the Board a report, which may be oral, setting forth the results of its evaluation, including any recommended amendments to this Charter and any recommended changes to the Company’s or the Board’s policies or procedures.
| VIII. | INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES, OUTSIDE ADVISERS |
The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committee’s scope of responsibilities, and may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser. The Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser retained by the Committee, the expense of which shall be borne by the Company. The Committee may select a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee only after taking into consideration the following:
(a) The provision of other services to the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;
(b) The amount of fees received from the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser, as a percentage of the total revenue of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;
(c) The policies and procedures of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest:
(d) Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser with a member of the Committee;
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(e) Any stock of the Company owned by the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; and
(f) Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel, other adviser or the person employing the adviser with an executive officer of the Company.
The Committee shall conduct the independence assessment with respect to any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that provides advice to the Committee, other than: (i) in-house legal counsel; and (ii) any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser whose role is limited to the following activities for which no disclosure would be required under Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K: consulting on any broad-based plan that does not discriminate in scope, terms, or operation, in favor of executive officers or directors of the Company, and that is available generally to all salaried employees; or providing information that either is not customized for the Company or that is customized based on parameters that are not developed by the compensation consultant, and about which the compensation consultant does not provide advice.
Nothing herein requires a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser to be independent, only that the Committee consider the enumerated independence factors before selecting or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser. The Committee may select or receive advice from any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser it prefers, including ones that are not independent, after considering the six independence factors outlined above.
Nothing herein shall be construed: (1) to require the Committee to implement or act consistently with the advice or recommendations of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee; or (2) to affect the ability or obligation of the Committee to exercise its own judgment in fulfillment of its duties.
| IX. | ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SHELL COMPANY STATUS |
While the members of the Committee have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
Additionally, while the Committee has adopted this Charter with a view towards codifying, advancing and implementing certain best practices with respect to its and the Company’s operations, it is also understood that the Company is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of consummating an initial business combination with one or more target companies (the “De-SPAC”) and that, prior to the de-SPAC, the Company is a blank check company with limited operations. Accordingly, certain duties and responsibilities described in this Charter may not be applicable or practicable for the Committee to implement prior to the de-SPAC. In particular, it is not envisioned that the Company’s executives will receive any pre-De-SPAC compensation for their service beyond the share awards for their service described in the Company’s final prospectus with respect to its initial public offering (which share awards were issued prior to the Company’s initial public offering).
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Exhibit 99.3
IRON HORSE ACQUISITIONS CORP. II
NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | Membership |
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Committee”) of the board of directors (the “Board”) of Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp. II (the “Company”) shall consist of three or more directors. Each member of the Committee shall be independent in accordance with the rules of the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”).
The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board. The members of the Committee shall be appointed for one-year terms and shall serve for such term or terms as the Board may determine or until earlier resignation or death. The Board may remove any member from the Committee at any time with or without cause.
| II. | Purpose |
The purpose of the Committee is to carry out the responsibilities delegated by the Board relating to the Company’s director nominations process and procedures, developing and maintaining the Company’s corporate governance policies and any related matters required by the federal securities laws.
| III. | Duties and Responsibilities |
The Committee shall have the following authority and responsibilities:
(a) To determine the qualifications, qualities, skills, and other expertise required to be a director and to develop, and recommend to the Board for its approval, criteria to be considered in selecting nominees for director (the “Director Criteria”).
(b) To identify and screen individuals qualified to become members of the Board, consistent with the Director Criteria. The Committee shall consider any director candidates recommended by the Company’s stockholders pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Committee shall also consider any nominations of director candidates validly made by stockholders in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations and the provisions of the Company’s organizational documents.
(c) To make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection and approval of the nominees for director to be submitted to a stockholder vote at the annual meeting of stockholders, subject to approval by the Board.
(d) To develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company, to review these principles from time to time and in any event in advance of each year’s annual meeting and to recommend any changes to the Board.
(e) To oversee the Company’s corporate governance practices and procedures, including identifying best practices and reviewing and recommending to the Board for approval any changes to the documents, policies and procedures in the Company’s corporate governance framework, including its certificate of incorporation and by-laws.
(f) To develop, subject to approval by the Board, a process for an annual evaluation of the Board and its committees and to oversee the conduct of this annual evaluation.
(g) To review the Board’s committee structure and composition and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the appointment of directors to serve as members of each committee and committee chairmen annually.
(h) If a vacancy on the Board and/or any Board committee occurs, to identify and make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection and approval of candidates to fill such vacancy either by election by stockholders or appointment by the Board.
(i) To develop and oversee a Company orientation program for new directors and a continuing education program for current directors, periodically review these programs and update them as necessary.
(j) To review all director compensation and benefits for service on the Board and Board committees at least once a year and to recommend any changes to the Board as necessary.
(k) To develop and recommend to the Board for approval a Company policy for the review and approval of related party transactions and to review, approve and oversee any transaction between the Company and any related person (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K) on an ongoing basis in accordance with the Company’s related party transaction approval policy.
(l) To develop and recommend to the Board for approval director independence standards in addition to those required by the Nasdaq.
(m) To review and discuss with management disclosure of the Company’s corporate governance practices, including information regarding the operations of the Committee and other Board committees, director independence and the director nominations process, and to recommend that this disclosure be, included in the Company’s proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K, as applicable.
(n) To develop and recommend to the Board for approval a Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”), to monitor compliance with the Code, to investigate any alleged breach or violation of the Code, to enforce the provisions of the Code and to review the Code periodically and recommend any changes to the Board.
(o) To develop and recommend to the Board for approval a CEO succession plan (the “Succession Plan”), to review the Succession Plan periodically, develop and evaluate potential candidates for executive positions and recommend to the Board any changes to and any candidates for succession under the Succession Plan.
(p) To review any director resignation letter tendered in accordance with the Company’s director resignation policy, once such policy is finalized, and evaluate and recommend to the Board whether such resignation should be accepted.
| IV. | Outside Advisors |
The Committee shall have the authority, in its sole discretion, to select, retain and obtain the advice of a director search firm as necessary to assist with the execution of its duties and responsibilities as set forth in this Charter. The Committee shall set the compensation and oversee the work of the director search firm. The Committee shall have the authority, in its sole discretion, to retain and obtain the advice and assistance of outside counsel, an executive search firm, a compensation consultant and such other advisors as it deems necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities under this Charter. The Committee shall set the compensation and oversee the work of its outside counsel, the executive search firm, the compensation consultant and any other advisors. The Committee shall receive appropriate funding from the Company, as determined by the Committee in its capacity as a committee of the Board, for the payment of compensation to its search consultants, outside counsel , compensation consultant and any other advisors.
The director search firm, outside counsel, executive search firm, compensation consultant and any other advisors retained by the Committee shall be independent in accordance with Nasdaq independence standards.
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| V. | Structure and Operations |
The Board shall designate a member of the Committee as the chairperson. The Committee shall meet as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities. The Committee shall report regularly to the Board regarding its actions and make recommendations to the Board as appropriate. The Committee is governed by the same rules regarding meetings (including meetings in person or by telephone, videoconferencing software or other similar communications equipment), action without meetings, notice, waiver of notice, and quorum and voting requirements as are applicable to the Board.
The Committee shall review this Charter regularly and in any event in advance of each year’s annual meeting and recommend any proposed changes to the Board for approval.
| VI. | Delegation of Authority |
The Committee shall have the authority to delegate any of its responsibilities, along with the authority to take action in relation to such responsibilities, to one or more subcommittees as the Committee may deem appropriate in its sole discretion.
| VII. | Performance Evaluation |
The Committee shall conduct an annual evaluation of the performance of its duties under this Charter and shall present the results of the evaluation to the Board. The Committee shall conduct this evaluation in such manner as it deems appropriate.
| VIII. | ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SHELL COMPANY STATUS |
While the members of the Committee have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
Additionally, while the Committee has adopted this Charter with a view towards codifying, advancing and implementing certain best practices with respect to its and the Company’s operations, it is also understood that the Company is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of consummating an initial business combination with one or more target companies (the “De-SPAC”) and that, prior to the de-SPAC, the Company is a blank check company with limited operations. Accordingly, certain duties and responsibilities described in this Charter may not be applicable or practicable for the Committee to implement prior to the de-SPAC.
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