Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II 10-K, filed Mar 20, 2026
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (MLAA)
About this 10-K
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II filed this 10-K on March 20, 2026, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
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| For the fiscal year ended |
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer, “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||||
| Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes
The registrant’s securities were listed on any exchange and had no value as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of 2025. The registrant’s Units began trading on the Global Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on January 27, 2026 and the registrant’s Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants commenced separate trading on March 19, 2026. Accordingly, there was no market value for the registrant’s common equity as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of 2025.
As of March 20, 2026, there were
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II
FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Report (as defined below), including, without limitation, statements under Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act (as defined below) and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (as defined below). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believe,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “should,” “could” or “would” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our ability to consummate any acquisition or other Business Combination (as defined below) and any other statements that are not statements of current or historical facts. We have based these forward-looking statements on our Management’s (as defined below) current expectations and projections about future events, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to our Management, but actual results may differ materially due to various factors, including, but not limited to:
| ● | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
| ● | the pool of prospective target businesses; |
| ● | our ability to complete our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | our expectations regarding the potential performance of the prospective target business or businesses; |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting our officers, key employees or directors following our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | our officers and directors’ ability to allocate sufficient time to reviewing and considering our initial Business Combination, including considerations related to potential conflicts of interest; |
| ● | the potential issues associated with entering into a Business Combination agreement with an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable; |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial Business Combination, if needed; | |
| ● | the ability of our Management Team (as defined below) to generate and execute on potential acquisition opportunities that will generate value for our shareholders; |
| ● | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| ● | our ability to use proceeds not held in the Trust Account (as defined below) or available to us from interest income on the Trust Account balance; |
| ● | our Trust Account potentially being subject to claims of third parties; |
| ● | the value of the Founder Shares (as defined below) following completion of our initial Business Combination likely being substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our Public Shares (as defined below) at such time is substantially less than the Redemption Price (as defined below); |
| ● | the impact on the amount held in the Trust Account, our capitalization, principal shareholders and other effects on our Company (as defined below) or Management Team should we seek to extend the Combination Period (as defined below) consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules; |
| ● | our financial performance; or |
| ● | the other risks and uncertainties discussed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” below. |
ii
The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not 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. 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.
Unless otherwise stated in this Report, or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| ● | “Amended and Restated Articles” are to our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as currently in effect; |
| ● | “ASC” are to the FASB (as defined below) Accounting Standards Codification; |
| ● | “ASU” are to the FASB Accounting Standards Update; |
| ● | “Audit Committee” are to the audit committee of our Board of Directors (as defined below); |
| ● | “Board of Directors” or “Board” are to our board of directors; |
| ● | “BTIG” are to BTIG, LLC, the representative of the Underwriters (as defined below); |
| ● | “Business Combination” are to a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses; |
| ● | “Certifying Officers” are to our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, together; |
| ● | “Class A Ordinary Shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “Class B Ordinary Shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “Clawback Policy” are to our Executive Compensation Clawback Policy, effective as of January 27, 2026; |
| ● | “Code of Ethics” are to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics we have adopted, which is applicable to our directors, officers and employees; |
| ● | “Combination Period” are to (i) the 24-month period, from the closing of the Initial Public Offering (as defined below) to January 28, 2028, that we have to consummate an initial Business Combination, or (ii) such other period in which we must consummate an initial Business Combination pursuant to an amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles and consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules; |
| ● | “Companies Act” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, as may be amended from time to time; |
| ● | “Company,” “our,” “we,” or “us” are to Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company; |
| ● | “Compensation Committee” are to the compensation committee of our Board of Directors; |
| ● | “Continental” are to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, trustee of our Trust Account and warrant agent of our Warrants (as defined below); |
| ● | “Deferred Fee” are to the additional aggregate fee of $12,600,000 to which the Underwriters are entitled that is payable only upon our completion of the initial Business Combination, subject to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement (as defined below); |
iii
| ● | “DWAC System” are to the Depository Trust Company’s Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian System; |
| ● | “Exchange Act” are to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; |
| ● | “Excise Tax” are to the U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases of stock by publicly traded U.S. domestic corporations and certain U.S. domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring on or after January 1, 2023 as provided for by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; |
| ● | “FASB” are to the Financial Accounting Standards Board; |
| ● | “FINRA” are to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; |
| ● | “Founder Shares” are to the (i) Class B Ordinary Shares initially purchased by our Sponsor prior to the Initial Public Offering and (ii) Class A Ordinary Shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares (x) at the time of our Business Combination as described in the IPO Registration Statement (as defined below) or (y) earlier at the option of the holders thereof, as described in the IPO Registration Statement; for the avoidance of doubt, such Class A Ordinary Shares will not be “Public Shares” (as defined below); |
| ● | “GAAP” are to the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; |
| ● | “IFRS” are to the International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board; |
| ● | “Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” are to the initial public offering that we consummated on January 28, 2026; |
| ● | “Insider Trading Policy” are to the insider trading policies and procedures we have adopted; |
| ● | “Investment Company Act” are to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; |
| ● | “IPO Promissory Note” are to that certain unsecured promissory note in the principal amount of up to $500,000 issued to our Sponsor on October 23, 2025; |
| ● | “IPO Registration Statement” are to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the SEC (as defined below) on November 26, 2025, as amended, and declared effective on January 26, 2026 (File No. 333-291833); |
| ● | “JOBS Act” are to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012; |
| ● | “Letter Agreement” are to the Letter Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with our Sponsor and our directors and officers; |
| ● | “Management” or our “Management Team” are to our executive officers; |
| ● | “Nasdaq” are to The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; |
| ● | “Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement” are to the requirement pursuant to the Nasdaq Rules (as defined below) that a SPAC (as defined below) must complete one or more Business Combinations within 36 months following the effectiveness of its initial public offering registration statement; |
| ● | “Nasdaq Rules” are to the continued listing rules of Nasdaq, as they exist as of the date of this Report; |
| ● | “Option Units” are to the 4,680,000 units that were purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option (as defined below); |
iv
| ● | “Ordinary Resolution” are to a resolution of our Company passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of our Company, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote on such matter (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time); |
| ● | “Ordinary Shares” are to the Class A Ordinary Shares and the Class B Ordinary Shares, together; |
| ● | “Over-Allotment Option” are to the 45-day option that the Underwriters had to purchase up to an additional 4,698,000 Option Units to cover over-allotments, if any, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, which option was partially exercised; |
| ● | “PCAOB” are to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States); |
| ● | “Private Placement” are to the private placement of Private Placement Units (as defined below) that occurred simultaneously with the closing of our Initial Public Offering, pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements (as defined below); |
| ● | “Private Placement Shares” are to the Class A Ordinary Shares included within the Private Placement Units purchased by our Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement; |
| ● | “Private Placement Units” are to the units issued to our Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement; |
| ● | “Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements” are to the (i) Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with our Sponsor and (ii) Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with BTIG, together; |
| ● | “Private Placement Warrants” are to the warrants included within the Private Placement Units purchased by our Sponsor and BTIG, in the Private Placement; |
| ● | “Public Shareholders” are to the holders of our Public Shares, including our Sponsor and Management Team to the extent our Sponsor and/or the members of our Management Team purchase Public Shares, provided that our Sponsor’s and each member of our Management Team’s status as a “Public Shareholder” will only exist with respect to such Public Shares; |
| ● | “Public Shares” are to the Class A Ordinary Shares sold as part of the Public Units (as defined below) in our Initial Public Offering (whether they were purchased in our Initial Public Offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| ● | “Public Units” are to the units sold in our Initial Public Offering, which consist of one Public Share and one-half of one Public Warrant (as defined below); |
| ● | “Public Warrants” are to the redeemable warrants sold as part of the Public Units in our Initial Public Offering (whether they were subscribed for in our Initial Public Offering or purchased in the open market); |
| ● | “Redemption Price” are to the pro rata redemption price in any redemption we expect to pay, which was initially $10.00 per Public Share as of the closing of the Initial Public Offering; |
| ● | “Registration Rights Agreement” are to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with the Sponsor and the other holders party thereto; |
| ● | “Report” are to this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025; |
| ● | “Sarbanes-Oxley Act” are to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended; |
| ● | “SEC” are to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; |
| ● | “SEC Clawback Rule” are to Rule 10D-1 under the Exchange Act; |
v
| ● | “Securities Act” are to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
| ● | “SPAC” are to a special purpose acquisition company; |
| ● | “Special Resolution” are to a resolution of our Company passed by at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of our Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote on such matter (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time); |
| ● | “Sponsor” are to Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| ● | “Trust Account” are to the U.S.-based trust account in which an amount of $360,000,000 from the net proceeds of the sale of the Public Units in the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Units in the Private Placement was placed following the closing of the Initial Public Offering; |
| ● | “Trust Agreement” are to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with Continental, as trustee of the Trust Account; |
| ● | “Underwriters” are to the several underwriters of the Initial Public Offering; |
| ● | “Underwriting Agreement” are to the Underwriting Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with BTIG, as representative of the Underwriters; |
| ● | “Units” are to the Private Placement Units and the Public Units, together; | |
| ● | “Warrant Agreement” are to the Warrant Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, which we entered into with Continental, as Warrant agent; |
| ● | “Warrants” are to the Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants, together; | |
| ● | “Withum” are to WithumSmith+Brown, PC, our independent registered public accounting firm; and |
| ● | “Working Capital Loans” are to funds that, in order to provide working capital or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us. |
vi
PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated on October 16, 2025 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a Business Combination with one or more businesses or entities. We may pursue an initial Business Combination in any business or industry. To date, our efforts have been limited to (i) organizational activities, (ii) activities related to our Initial Public Offering, and (iii) searching for and consummating a Business Combination. As of the date of this Report, we have not selected any specific Business Combination target. We have generated no operating revenues to date, and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues until we consummate our initial Business Combination.
We may pursue an initial Business Combination target in any business or industry or at any stage of its corporate evolution. Our primary focus, however, is in completing a Business Combination with an established business of scale poised for continued growth, led by a highly regarded management team. Our Management Team has an extensive track record of acquiring attractive assets at disciplined valuations, investing in growth while fostering financial discipline and improving business results.
Initial Public Offering
Our IPO Registration Statement became effective on January 26, 2026. On January 28, 2026, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 36,000,000 Public Units, including 4,680,000 Option Units issued pursuant to the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. Each Public Unit consists of one Public Share and one-half of one Public Warrant, with each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share. The Public Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Public Unit, generating gross proceeds to our Company of $360,000,000.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units to our Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds to our Company of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units. The Private Placement Units (and underlying securities) are identical to the Public Units (and underlying securities), except as otherwise disclosed in the IPO Registration Statement.
A total of $360,000,000, comprised of the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, was placed in the Trust Account maintained by Continental, acting as trustee.
It is the job of our Sponsor and Management Team to complete our initial Business Combination. Our Management Team consists of (i) Paul Grinberg, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board and, (ii) Douglas Horlick, our Chief Financial Officer and Director. We must complete our initial Business Combination by (i) January 28, 2028, the end of our Combination Period, which is 24 months from the closing of our Initial Public Offering, (ii) such earlier liquidation date as our Board may approve or (iii) such later date as our shareholders may approve pursuant to the Amended and Restated Articles. If our initial Business Combination is not consummated by the end of our Combination Period, our existence will terminate, and we will distribute all amounts in the Trust Account as described elsewhere in this Report.
We may seek to extend the Combination Period consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules by amending our Amended and Restated Articles. Any such amendment would require the approval of our shareholders, and our Public Shareholders will be provided the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with the vote on such approval. Such redemptions will decrease the amount held in our Trust Account and our capitalization, and may affect our ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. In addition, the Nasdaq Rules currently require SPACs (such as us) to complete their initial Business Combination in accordance with the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement. If we do not meet the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement, our securities will likely be subject to suspension of trading and delisting from Nasdaq. Our Sponsor may also, in its discretion, consider selling its interest in our Company to another sponsor entity, which may result in a change to our Management Team.
1
Competitive Strengths
Our Company is led by (i) Paul Grinberg, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and (ii) Douglas Horlick, our Chief Financial Officer and Director. Our Board of Directors also includes Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser. We seek to capitalize on the significant experience and relationships of our Management Team and the members of our Board of Directors in identifying and consummating an initial Business Combination. Our leadership has deep operational and oversight expertise as executives and investors across public and private companies, as well as acquisition and fundraising experience spanning multiple decades. With years of experience, the members of our Management Team and Board have successfully identified and capitalized on emerging technological and secular trends across different sectors. In addition, our Management Team and Board have deep transaction experience, having executed and integrated numerous transactions as operators, investors and advisors. We believe that the extensive experience that members of our Management Team and Board have gained from working with and managing publicly traded companies positions us to identify, evaluate and acquire an attractive initial Business Combination target. Further, our Management Team and Board’s expertise enables us to deliver differentiated guidance to the target company’s management team in order to support its growth and success post-initial Business Combination. We believe our competitive strengths include the following:
Prior SPAC Experience
Our Management Team and Board have pre-existing experience with blank check companies and have served as executive officers and directors the following other SPACs:
| ● | Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. (“MLAC”): Each member of our Management Team and Board serve as executive officers and/or directors of MLAC, a SPAC. MLAC completed a $210 million initial public offering in December 2024. In October 2025, MLAC entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Avalanche Treasury Company LLC, a is an ecosystem-aligned vehicle providing exposure to the Avalanche ecosystem through active treasury management, strategic investments, and an exclusive relationship with the Avalanche Foundation. The Business Combination is subject to customary closing conditions; and |
| ● | Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I (“SLAC”): Mr. Grinberg served as the Executive Chairman of SLAC, Mr. Horlick served as President and Chief Operating Officer of SLAC, and Mr. Marquez was an independent director of SLAC. SLAC completed its initial public offering of 34,500,000 units in February 2021, in which it raised aggregate proceeds of approximately $345,000,000. After SLAC’s initial public offering, SLAC’s management team commenced an active search for prospective businesses and/or assets to acquire in its initial Business Combination. On July 31, 2022, SLAC entered into a Business Combination Agreement with W3BCLOUD Holdings Inc. The Business Combination was terminated due to changes in market conditions. On February 12, 2024, the board of directors of SLAC determined that it would not be able to complete an initial Business Combination within the period required. SLAC announced that it would not consummate an initial Business Combination and it would redeem its Public Shares. SLAC has been dissolved and liquidated following the redemption. Its securities are no longer listed on Nasdaq. |
Other than as described above, our Sponsor and its affiliates are not involved in any other SPACs.
Business Strategy
Our strategy is to leverage our team’s extensive track record in running public companies, mergers & acquisitions and capital markets to identify and complete an initial Business Combination. We may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or geographic location. We have not selected any specific Business Combination target.
Business Combination Criteria
Based on our Management’s experience, including with prior SPACs, we have developed the following non-exclusive investment criteria that we use to screen for and evaluate prospective target businesses:
| ● | Leading Industry Position with Supportive Long-Term Dynamics and Competitive Market Advantage. We target businesses that hold, or have the potential to hold, a leading position in an industry sector with attractive macro-characteristics. We target businesses that have, or have the potential to have, sustainable competitive advantages that would be challenging for a competitor to replicate. Factors contributing to sustainable competitive advantages may include: (iii) proprietary or superior technology or trade secrets; (ii) broad distribution networks; (iii) well-established brand names; (iv) territorial exclusivity or a well-defined market; (v) diverse and stable customer and supplier base; (vi) low-cost production capability/economies of scale; (vii) customer habit/share of mind; (viii) a lack of available substitutes and/or high search or switching costs; (ix) network effects; and/or (x) limited exposure to technological obsolescence and cyclicality. Our Management Team targets businesses that have clearly demonstrated an ability to defend and grow their market positions over time as a result of one or more of these sustainable competitive advantages, or have demonstrable potential to do so. We seek opportunities that will benefit from secular growth and are able to differentiate their market position to create value for our shareholders over time. |
2
| ● | Stable Free Cash Flow, Prudent Debt and Financial Visibility. We seek to acquire a business that has historically generated or has the potential to generate not only current revenues, but strong and sustainable free cash flow. Additionally, our prospective Business Combination criteria include prudent balance sheet management and, as such, we seek to limit leverage ratios of a combined company immediately following an initial Business Combination. To provide reliable guidance, we also seek to acquire a business that has reasonable visibility on forward financial performance and straightforward operating metrics, and a business that is not extremely sensitive to macro-economic conditions or industry cycles. Specifically, we prioritize businesses that may be evaluated and priced by the market using financial metrics or other key milestones not more than one year forward. |
| ● | Benefit Uniquely from a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company. We seek to acquire a business that has a clear use of proceeds and a clear catalyst or inflection point resulting from our capital, team, public listing, roll-up synergies, deleveraging and/or re-rating milestones expected to propel the business through our structural dilution in the near term with enhanced financial results, margins, market position and shareholder value. |
| ● | Would Benefit Uniquely from our Capabilities. We seek to acquire a business where the collective capabilities of our Management Team, Board of Directors and Sponsor, and any operating partners we involve, can be leveraged to tangibly improve the operations and market position of the target. |
| ● | Proprietary and/or Optimally Positioned Transactions. We leverage our extensive business network to source our initial Business Combination on a proprietary basis if possible. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we utilize our collective experience and insight to strategically consider participating in formal processes focused primarily on narrowing a pool of SPACs to a single winning bidder to instances where we believe we are optimally positioned to win such processes. |
| ● | Committed and Capable Management Team. We seek to acquire a business with a management team whose interests are aligned with those of our shareholders and who can clearly and confidently articulate the business plan and market opportunities to public market investors. Where necessary, we may also look to complement and enhance the capabilities of the target business’s management team and their board of directors by recruiting additional talent through our network of contacts or otherwise. This may include recruiting experienced industry professionals, or operating partners, to assist in our evaluation of the opportunity and marketing of the Business Combination prior to its completion, who may assume an ongoing role with the business or board thereafter. While not a requirement, we view favorably opportunities where the target’s chief financial officer has experience as a public company chief financial officer or other substantive public market experience, and ideally where other members of senior management have public market experience as well. |
| ● | Potential to Grow, Including Through Further Acquisition Opportunities. We seek to acquire a business that has the potential to grow both organically and inorganically through acquisitions, with management having identified a pipeline of potentially actionable accretive acquisition targets. We expect to work with the ongoing management team to develop the business strategy around geographic expansion, new products, high-return capital expenditure projects and acquisitions, as well as creating and maintaining the optimal capital structure for growth. |
| ● | Preparedness for the Process and Public Markets. We seek to acquire a business that has or can put in place prior to the closing of a Business Combination, the material governance, financial systems and controls required in the public markets. Specifically, we seek to avoid situations where extensive accounting or restructuring work is required with an uncertain timetable or outcome before a transaction can be completed. |
3
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial Business Combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our Management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial Business Combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we intend to disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial Business Combination, which, as discussed in this Report, would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we conduct a due diligence review that encompasses, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that is made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the Business Combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial Business Combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial Business Combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another Business Combination. There is no current basis for our shareholders to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial Business Combination.
Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following the Initial Public Offering. We intend to effectuate our initial Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial Business Combination (including pursuant to any forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements into which we may enter), Ordinary Shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial Business Combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
We have until the end of Combination Period (as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our Amended and Restated Articles to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial Business Combination) or until such earlier time as our Board of Directors may approve, to consummate our initial Business Combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial Business Combination by January 28, 2028, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our Amended and Restated Articles to extend our Combination Period. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension of the Combination Period. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, our Public Shareholders will be offered an opportunity to redeem their Public Shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable, if any), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, subject to applicable law.
There is no limit on the number of extensions that we may seek; however, we do not expect to extend the Combination Period beyond 36 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. If we determine not to or are unable to extend the Combination Period or fail to obtain shareholder approval to extend the Combination Period, our Sponsor’s investment in our Founder Shares and our Private Placement Units will be worthless.
The Nasdaq Rules require that we must complete one or more Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the Deferred Fee and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account, if any, and such test, the “80% Test”). Our Board of Directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial Business Combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial Business Combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our Board of Directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial Business Combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to the Nasdaq Rules, any initial Business Combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
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We anticipate structuring our initial Business Combination so that the post-transaction company in which our Public Shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial Business Combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the Business Combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the Business Combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Ordinary Shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new Ordinary Shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial Business Combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares subsequent to our initial Business Combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% Test. If the Business Combination involves more than one target business, the 80% Test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial Business Combination with a company that is affiliated with our Sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the Business Combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our Sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial Business Combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our Amended and Restated Articles) with our Sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial Business Combination is fair to our Company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our Management Team and our independent directors directly or indirectly own Founder Shares and/or Private Placement Units after the Initial Public 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, 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 Combination Period, 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.
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, including MLAC (if it does not consummate its initial Business Combination with Avalanche Treasury Company LLC). Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a Business Combination opportunity that 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, including MLAC (if it does not consummate its initial Business Combination with Avalanche Treasury Company LLC), subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our Amended and Restated Articles provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. As a result, the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors could materially affect our ability to complete our initial Business Combination.
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In addition, our Sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other SPACs similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial Business Combination. As a result, our Sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present Business Combination opportunities to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial Business Combination target, which could materially affect our ability to complete our initial Business Combination. The other entities to which our officers and directors currently owe fiduciary duties or contractual obligations are not themselves in the business of engaging in Business Combinations.
Financial Position
With funds available for a Business Combination in the amount of $360,000,000 following the Initial Public Offering (assuming no redemptions and before payment of the Deferred Fee), we offer a target business a variety of options, such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial Business Combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Potential Additional Financings
We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial Business Combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our Trust Account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon completion of the Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. If we raise additional funds through equity, preferred equity, convertible preferred equity or convertible debt issuances, our Public Shareholders may suffer significant dilution and these securities could have rights that rank senior to our Public Shares. If we raise additional funds through the incurrence of indebtedness, such indebtedness 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 Shareholders may incur material dilution. As of the date of this Report, we have not selected any specific Business Combination target, but may target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than what we could acquire with the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the Trust Account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by Public Shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial Business Combination. Such additional financing may be in the form of private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions), which may be in the form of an equity, convertible preferred equity, debt or convertible debt transactions. The price of the Public Share so issued in connection with an initial Business Combination may be less, and potentially significantly less, than $10.00 per Public Share or the market price for our Public Shares at such time. Any such issuances of equity securities at a price that is less than $10.00 or the prevailing market price of our Public Shares at that time could be structured to ensure a return on investment to the investors and could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders in a manner that would not ordinarily occur in a traditional initial public offering and could result in both a reduction in the trading price of our shares to the price at which we issue such equity securities and fluctuations in the net tangible book value per share of the combined company’s securities following the completion of our initial Business Combination. We may also provide price protection or other incentives, or issue convertible securities such as preferred equity or convertible debt, and the exercise or conversion price of those securities may be fixed or adjustable, and may be less, and potentially significantly less, than $10.00 per Public Share or the market price for our Public Shares at such time. Such issuances could also result in additional transaction costs related to our initial Business Combination compared to a traditional initial public offering, including the placement fees associated with the engagement of a placement agent in connection with PIPE transactions. Although we have no commitments as of the date of this Report to issue any notes or other debt, or to otherwise incur debt following the Initial Public Offering, we may choose to pursue a Business Combination in connection with which we incur substantial debt. No issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the Trust Account.
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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 members of the Sponsor are Paul Grinberg, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board, and Douglas Horlick, our Chief Financial Officer and Director. Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Horlick control the management of our Sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our Company held by our Sponsor. Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Horlick have each received an indirect interest in 20.75% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 0.49% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor. In addition, each of Jaime Vieser and Jeffery Lager, two of our independent directors, have received an indirect interest in 10.04% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 6.86% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor and Michael Marquez has received an indirect interest in 0.42% of the total Founder Shares through membership interests in our Sponsor. As a result of their indirect interest in the Founder Shares through membership interests in our Sponsor, our Management Team 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. Additionally, following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, Mr. John Norton holds an indirect interest in approximately 37.27% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 83.33% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor. Other than as described above, no other person has a direct or indirect material interest in our Sponsor.
Because our Sponsor acquired the Founder Shares at a nominal price ($0.0021 per share), our Public Shareholders incurred immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the Warrants. Further, the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the Founder Shares may result in material dilution to our Public Shareholders due to the anti-dilution rights of our Founder Shares that may result in an issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. Additionally, our Public Shareholders may experience dilution from the 980,000 Private Placement Units purchased by our Sponsor and BTIG, as well as conversion of any Working Capital Loans into equity, if elected by the Sponsor or by another person or entity who made such Working Capital Loans.
The Founder Shares will automatically convert into Class A Ordinary Shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial Business Combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder thereof, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A Ordinary Shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the Initial Public Offering and related to or in connection with the closing of our initial Business Combination, the ratio at which Class B Ordinary Shares shall convert into Class A Ordinary Shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B Ordinary Shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B Ordinary Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 25% of sum of (i) the total number of all Ordinary Shares outstanding upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering (including any Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option and excluding the Private Placement Shares), plus (ii) all Class A Ordinary Shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued (on an as-converted basis), in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent units issued to our Sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of any Working Capital Loans) minus (iii) any redemptions of Public Shares by Public Shareholders in connection with an initial Business Combination; provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. Our Public Shareholders may incur material dilution due to such anti-dilution adjustments that result in the issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion.
If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our Public Shareholders may suffer significant dilution. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Founder Shares result in the issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Founder Shares at the time of our initial Business Combination. In addition, the issuance of the Private Placement Units further increased the dilution to our Public Shareholders.
In addition, in order to facilitate our initial Business Combination or for any other reason determined by our Sponsor in its sole discretion, our Sponsor may surrender or forfeit, transfer or exchange our Founder Shares, Private Placement Units or any of our other securities, including for no consideration, as well as subject any such securities to earn-outs or other restrictions, or otherwise amend the terms of any such securities or enter into any other arrangements with respect to any such securities. We may also issue Class A Ordinary Shares upon conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial Business Combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth herein.
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Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, each of our Sponsor, directors and officers have agreed to lock-up restrictions on their ability to transfer, assign, or sell the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Private Placement Shares, subject to certain limited exceptions.
The securities held by the Sponsor are expected to only be distributed directly to the members of the Sponsor in connection with or following the consummation of our initial Business Combination, provided that such members agree to become subject to the applicable transfer restrictions with respect to such securities, including the Letter Agreement. Indirect transfers of the securities held by the Sponsor, such as to another member of the Sponsor or their affiliate, a family member or a new member of the Sponsor, may be permitted with the prior consent of Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Horlick, the managing members of our Sponsor, as long as such transfer complies with the applicable transfer restrictions with respect to such securities to the same extent as the party originally subject to such restrictions.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial Business Combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete Business Combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial Business Combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
| ● | subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial Business Combination, and |
| ● | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services. |
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial Business Combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our Management Team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our Management Team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial Business Combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial Business Combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial Business Combination. Moreover, we cannot assure our shareholders that members of our Management Team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure our shareholders that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial Business Combination.
Following a Business Combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under the Nasdaq Rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial Business Combination if, for example:
| ● | We issue Ordinary Shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our Ordinary Shares then outstanding (other than in a public offering); |
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| ● | Any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by the Nasdaq Rules) has a 5% or greater interest earned on the Trust Account (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of Ordinary Shares could result in an increase in outstanding Ordinary Shares or voting power of 5% or more; or |
| ● | The issuance or potential issuance of Ordinary Shares will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination in those instances in which shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place us at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on us; (ii) the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote; (iii) the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed Business Combination; (iv) other time and budget constraints of us; and (v) additional legal complexities of a proposed Business Combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.
Permitted Purchases of Our Securities
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates may purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial Business Combination, although they are under no obligation or duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgment that such Public Shareholder, although still the record holder of our Public Shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates purchase Public Shares in privately negotiated transactions from Public Shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling Public Shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their Public Shares. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial Business Combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire Public Shares, vote their Public Shares in favor of our initial Business Combination or not redeem their Public Shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants in such transactions.
The purpose of any such transactions could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the Business Combination, (2) reduce the number of Public Warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the Public Warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial Business Combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial Business Combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial Business Combination that may not otherwise have been possible. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will be not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 166.01 promulgated by the SEC.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the Public Shareholders with whom our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the Public Shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by Public Shareholders (in the case of Public Shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial Business Combination. To the extent that our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming Public Shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata share of the Trust Account or vote against our initial Business Combination, whether or not such Public Shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial Business Combination, but only if such Public Shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial Business Combination. Our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates will select from which Public Shareholders to purchase Public Shares based on the negotiated price and number of Public Shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing Public Shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
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Our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates are restricted from making purchases of Public Shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. Additionally, in the event our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates were to purchase Public Shares or warrants from Public Shareholders, such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our Business Combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates may purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants from Public Shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases; |
| ● | if our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates were to purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants from Public Shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process; |
| ● | our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our Business Combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction; |
| ● | our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and |
| ● | we would disclose in a Current Report on Form 8-K, before our general meeting of shareholders to approve the Business Combination transaction, the following material items: |
| o | the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our Sponsor, directors, officers and their affiliates, along with the purchase price; |
| o | the purpose of the purchases by our Sponsor, directors, officers and their affiliates; |
| o | the impact, if any, of the purchases by our Sponsor, directors, officers, and their affiliates on the likelihood that the Business Combination transaction will be approved; |
| o | the identities of our security holders who sold to our Sponsor, directors, officers and their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our Sponsor, officers and directors and their affiliates; and |
| o | the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer. |
Redemptions in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial Business Combination, upon the completion of our initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes payable, if any), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The Redemption Price was initially $10.00 per Public Share following the Initial Public Offering. The per share amount we will distribute to Public Shareholders who properly redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the Deferred Fee we will pay to the Underwriters. Our Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into the Letter Agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, Private Placement Shares and any Public Shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination.
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Our proposed initial Business Combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Public Shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial Business Combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial Business Combination or redeem any Public Shares, and all Public Shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial Business Combination, including pursuant to any forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements into which we may enter, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of our initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules), Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our Company (other than with a 90% subsidiary of ours) and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares or seek to amend our Amended and Restated Articles would require shareholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with the shareholder approval requirements of the Nasdaq Rules.
The requirement that we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares by one of the two methods listed above is contained in provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a Special Resolution. The Amended and Restated Articles also require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting shall be decided on a poll, in accordance with section 60(4) of the Companies Act and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained to pass a Special Resolution, so long as we offer redemption in connection with such amendment.
If we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in connection with a general meeting, we will, pursuant to our Amended and Restated Articles:
| ● | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and |
| ● | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our Public Shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial Business Combination.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial Business Combination only if we receive an Ordinary Resolution. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our Sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the Letter Agreement, our Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their Founder Shares, Private Placement Shares and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions, except that any Public Shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination transaction) in favor of our initial Business Combination. For purposes of seeking approval of an Ordinary Resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial Business Combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our Sponsor’s Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares, we would need 11,938,001 Public Shares, or 33.29% of the 36,000,000 Public Shares sold in the Initial Public Offering, to be voted in favor of an initial Business Combination in order to have our initial Business Combination approved, assuming all outstanding Ordinary Shares are voted and the parties to the Letter Agreement do not acquire any Class A Ordinary Shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, representing a quorum under our Amended and Restated Articles vote their Ordinary Shares at a general meeting of our shareholders, we would not need any Public Shares in addition to our Sponsor’s Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares to be voted in favor of an initial Business Combination in order to approve an initial Business Combination by an Ordinary Resolution. However, if our initial Business Combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation of our Company with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial Business Combination will require a Special Resolution, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares entitled to vote on such matter. The Amended and Restated Articles require that resolutions put to the vote of a meeting shall be decided on a poll, in accordance with section 60(4) of the Companies Act and regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each member is entitled to cast when computing whether the requisite approval threshold has been obtained to pass a Special Resolution.
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In addition, prior to the closing of our initial Business Combination, only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote (i) to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination and (ii) on continuing our Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any Special Resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreement of our Sponsor, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial Business Combination. Each Public Shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or vote against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a Public Shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
| ● | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
| ● | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial Business Combination that contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial Business Combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on Public Shareholders not tendering more than the number of Public Shares we are permitted to redeem. If Public Shareholders tender more Public Shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial Business Combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial Business Combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our Sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A Ordinary Shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
We intend to require our Public Shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their Public Shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates (if any) to our transfer agent or deliver their Public Shares to our transfer agent electronically using the DWAC System, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial Business Combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a Public Shareholder seeking redemption of its Public Shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such Public Shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to our Public Shareholders in connection with our initial Business Combination will indicate whether we are requiring Public Shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming Public Shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial Business Combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or Public Shares delivered by Public Shareholders who elected to redeem their Public Shares.
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Our proposed initial Business Combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Public Shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial Business Combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial Business Combination or redeem any Public Shares, and all Public Shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial Business Combination, including pursuant to any forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements into which we may enter, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
Limitation on Redemptions Upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Amended and Restated Articles provide that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such Public Shareholder or any other person with whom such Public Shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its Public Shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares sold in the Initial Public Offering (the “Excess Shares”) without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage Public Shareholders from accumulating large blocks of Public Shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed Business Combination as a means to force us or our Management to purchase their Public Shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a Public Shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares sold in the Initial Public Offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such Public Shares are not purchased by us, our Sponsor or our Management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our Public Shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the Public Shares sold in the Initial Public Offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of Public Shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial Business Combination, particularly in connection with a Business Combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.
However, we will not restrict our Public Shareholders’ ability to vote all of their Public Shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial Business Combination.
Delivering Share Certificates (if any) in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As described above, we intend to require our Public Shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their Public Shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates (if any) to our transfer agent or deliver their Public Shares to our transfer agent electronically using the DWAC System, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial Business Combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a Public Shareholder seeking redemption of its Public Shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such Public Shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to our Public Shareholders in connection with our initial Business Combination will indicate whether we are requiring Public Shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a Public Shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the initial Business Combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its Public Shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a Public Shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its Public Shares may not be redeemed. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for Public Shareholders to use electronic delivery of their Public Shares.
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There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced process and the act of certificating the Public Shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering Public Shares a fee of approximately $100.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require Public Shareholders seeking to exercise redemption rights to submit or tender their Public Shares. The need to deliver Public Shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any request to redeem such Public Shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. Furthermore, if a Public Shareholder delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such Public Shareholder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to our Public Shareholders electing to redeem their Public Shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial Business Combination.
If our initial Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our Public Shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for the applicable pro rata share of the Trust Account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by Public Shareholders who elected to redeem their Public Shares.
If our Business Combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a Business Combination with a different target until the end of the Combination Period.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our Amended and Restated Articles provide that we have only the duration of the Combination Period to complete our initial Business Combination. If we have not completed our initial Business Combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes, if any, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our Warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Our Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into the Letter Agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period; although, they are entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the Trust Account. However, if our Sponsor or Management Team acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Our Sponsor, officers and directors have also agreed, pursuant to the Letter Agreement, that they will not propose any amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles to modify (i) the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, or (ii) any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, in each case unless we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes payable, if any), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $1,878,537 of proceeds held outside the Trust Account following the Initial Public Offering, although we cannot assure our shareholders that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the Trust Account not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the Trust Account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
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If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, other than the proceeds deposited in the Trust Account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the Trust Account, the Redemption Price upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00 as of the closing of the Initial Public Offering. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our Public Shareholders. We cannot assure our Public Shareholders that the actual per-share redemption amount received by Public Shareholders will not be substantially less than the Redemption Price. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure our shareholders that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of our Public Shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the Trust Account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the Trust Account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the Trust Account, our Management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if Management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in our best interests under the circumstances. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by Management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where Management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. Withum, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the Underwriters did not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the Trust Account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason.
To protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, our Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the Trust Account assets, less taxes payable, if any, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our Sponsor’s only assets are securities of our Company. Therefore, we cannot assure our Public Shareholders that our Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the Trust Account, the funds available for our initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per Public Share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial Business Combination, and our Public Shareholders would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of their Public Shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the Trust Account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the Trust Account assets, in each case less (x) taxes payable, if any, and (y) up to $100,000 for dissolution expenses, and our Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. Accordingly, we cannot assure our Public Shareholders that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the Redemption Price will not be less than $10.00 per Public Share (as of the closing of the Initial Public Offering).
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We seek to reduce the possibility that our Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account. Our Sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Following our Initial Public Offering, we have access to up to $1,878,537 from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering held outside of the Trust Account with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our Trust Account could be liable for claims made by creditors.
If we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the Trust Account, we cannot assure our Public Shareholders we will be able to return $10.00 per Public Share to our Public Shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy/insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.” As a result, a liquidator or bankruptcy or other court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to us or 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 Shareholders from the Trust Account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure our shareholders that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
Our Public Shareholders are entitled to receive funds from the Trust Account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our Amended and Restated Articles to modify (x) the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period or (y) any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity or (iii) if they redeem their respective Public Shares for cash upon the completion of our initial Business Combination, subject to applicable law and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed Business Combination. In no other circumstances will a Public Shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the Trust Account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial Business Combination, a Public Shareholder’s voting in connection with the Business Combination alone will not result in a Public Shareholder’s redeeming its Public Shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the Trust Account. Such Public Shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles, like all provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial Business Combination, we encounter significant competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours (including other SPACs, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions), which competition may impact the attractiveness of the acquisition terms that we will be able to negotiate. Many of these entities are well-established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting Business Combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess financial, technical, human and other resources that are similar to or greater than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses is limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with the exercise of redemption rights by our Public Shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for our initial Business Combination and our issued and outstanding Warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either or both of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial Business Combination. If we are unable to complete our initial Business Combination, our Public Shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account that are available for distribution to Public Shareholders, and our Warrants will expire worthless.
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Employees
We currently have two officers: Paul Grinberg and Douglas Horlick. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial Business Combination. The amount of time they devote in any time period varies based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial Business Combination and the stage of the Business Combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We have registered our Public Units, Public Shares and Public Warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports, including this Report, contain financial statements audited and reported on by Withum, our independent registered public accountant. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior to the consummation of our initial Business Combination.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may conduct an initial Business Combination with because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure our shareholders that any particular target business identified by us as a potential Business Combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential Business Combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We are required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such Business Combination.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking (being October 22, 2025), no law that is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our Ordinary Shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
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We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following January 28, 2031, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
In addition, prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote on (i) the appointment or removal of directors and (ii) an amendment to continue our existence in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. As a result, Nasdaq considers us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, our shareholders will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
As a smaller reporting company under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to include risk factors in this Report. However, the following is a partial list of material risks, uncertainties and other factors that could have a material effect on us and our operations:
Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination
| ● | we are a blank check company with no operating history and no operating revenues, and our shareholders have a limited basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective, completing an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | we may not be able to complete our initial Business Combination, within the Combination Period, in which case we would liquidate and redeem our Public Shares; |
| ● | we may seek Business Combination opportunities with a high degree of complexity that require significant operational improvements, which could delay or prevent us from achieving our desired results; |
| ● | we may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial Business Combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular Business Combination; |
| ● | we may issue our Ordinary Shares to investors in connection with our initial Business Combination at a price that is less than the prevailing market price of our Ordinary Shares at that time; |
| ● | our Public Shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial Business Combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our Founder Shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial Business Combination even though a majority of our Public Shareholders do not support such a combination; |
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| ● | as the number of SPACs evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets, or such attractive targets may not be interested in consummating a Business Combination with a SPAC due to a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs. This could increase the cost of our initial Business Combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | we may attempt to simultaneously complete Business Combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial Business Combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability; |
| ● | we may engage one or more of the Underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after the Initial Public Offering, which may include acting as mergers and acquisitions advisor in connection with an initial Business Combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. The Underwriters are entitled to receive the Deferred Fee that will be released from the Trust Account only upon completion of an initial Business Combination. These financial incentives may cause the Underwriters to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after the Initial Public Offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | we may attempt to complete our initial Business Combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a Business Combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all; |
| ● | resources could be wasted on researching Business Combinations targets that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we have not completed our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, our Public Shareholders may receive only the Redemption Price, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our Warrants will expire worthless; |
| ● | recent fluctuations in inflation and interest rates in the United States and elsewhere could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | military or other conflicts and other disruptions to the equity or debt capital markets, including as a result of inflation in the United States and elsewhere, may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | changes in laws or regulations (including the adoption of policies by governing administrations), or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial Business Combination, and results of operations; |
| ● | in order to effectuate an initial Business Combination, SPACs have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their memorandums and articles of association, and other governing instruments. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our Amended and Restated Articles or governing agreement in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial Business Combination that our shareholders may not support; |
| ● | changes in international trade policies, tariffs and treaties affecting imports and exports may have a material adverse effect on our search for an initial Business Combination target or the performance or business prospects of a post-Business Combination company; |
| ● | adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or our Business Combination prospects; |
| ● | cyber incidents or attacks directed at us or third parties could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss, as well as impact our ability to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
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| ● | if we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | if we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination, our Sponsor and Management Team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial Business Combination, regardless of how our Public Shareholders vote. As such, under certain circumstances, we may not need any Public Shares in addition to Founder Shares to be voted in favor of our initial Business Combination to approve an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | our Public Shareholders’ only opportunity to effect their investment decision regarding a potential Business Combination may be limited to the exercise of their right to redeem their Public Shares from us for cash; |
| ● | the ability of our Public Shareholders to redeem their Public Shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential Business Combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a Business Combination with a target; |
| ● | the ability of our Public Shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our Ordinary Shares and the payment of the Deferred Fee may not allow us to complete the most desirable Business Combination or optimize our capital structure, and may materially dilute Public Shareholders’ investment in us; |
| ● | the ability of our Public Shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our Ordinary Shares could increase the probability that our initial Business Combination would be unsuccessful and that our Public Shareholders would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem their Public Shares; |
| ● | the requirement that we complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a Business Combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential Business Combination targets, in particular as we approach the end of the Combination Period, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial Business Combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders; |
| ● | we may decide not to extend the Combination Period, in which case we would liquidate and redeem our Public Shares, and the Warrants would be worthless; |
| ● | if we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination, our Sponsor directors, officers and their respective affiliates may elect to purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants from Public Shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed Business Combination and reduce the public “float” of our Public Shares or Public Warrants; |
| ● | if a Public Shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem their Public Shares in connection with our initial Business Combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for submitting or tendering their Public Shares, such Public Shares may not be redeemed; |
| ● | our Public Shareholders will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of other blank check companies subject to Rule 419 of the Securities Act; |
| ● | if we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if a shareholder or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A Ordinary Shares, they may lose the ability to redeem all such Public Shares in excess of 15% of our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | because of our limited resources and the significant competition for Business Combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial Business Combination. If we are unable to complete our initial Business Combination, our Public Shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account that are available for distribution to Public Shareholders, and our Warrants will expire worthless; |
| ● | if the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement not being held in the Trust Account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the duration of the Combination Period, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial Business Combination, and we will depend on loans from our Sponsor or Management Team to fund our search and to complete our initial Business Combination; |
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| ● | our search for an initial Business Combination, and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial Business Combination, may be materially adversely affected by current global geopolitical conditions; |
| ● | if we are unable to consummate our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, our Public Shareholders may be forced to wait beyond January 28, 2028 before redemption from our Trust Account; |
| ● | we may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial Business Combination, which could delay the opportunity for our Public Shareholders to discuss company affairs with Management, and the holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares will not have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors or continuing our Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands until after the consummation of our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | since only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, Nasdaq considers us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements; |
| ● | our Sponsor controls the appointment of our Board of Directors until consummation of our initial Business Combination and holds a substantial interest in us. As a result, it will appoint all of our directors prior to the consummation of our initial Business Combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that our Public Shareholders do not support; |
| ● | because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any target businesses with which to pursue our initial Business Combination, our shareholders are unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’ operations; |
| ● | we may seek Business Combination opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our Management’s areas of expertise; |
| ● | although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial Business Combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial Business Combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines; |
| ● | we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, and consequently, our shareholders may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view; |
| ● | we may issue additional Class A Ordinary Shares or preference shares to complete our initial Business Combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial Business Combination. We may also issue Class A Ordinary Shares upon the conversion of the Founder Shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial Business Combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained therein. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks; |
| ● | unlike some other similarly structured SPACs, our Sponsor, officers and directors will receive additional Class A Ordinary Shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | we may engage in a Business Combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our Sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders, which may raise potential conflicts of interest; |
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| ● | we may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a Business Combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us; |
| ● | we may only be able to complete one Business Combination with the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business, and which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability; |
| ● | we do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial Business Combination when a substantial majority of our Public Shareholders do not agree; |
| ● | the provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles that relate to our pre-Business Combination activity (and corresponding provisions governing the release of funds from our Trust Account) may be amended with a Special Resolution of our shareholders, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other SPACs. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend the Amended and Restated Articles to facilitate the completion of an initial Business Combination that some of our Public Shareholders may not support; |
| ● | because we must furnish our shareholders with financial statements of our Business Combination target, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial Business Combination with some prospective target businesses; |
| ● | compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial Business Combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | if our initial Business Combination involves a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States (or any subdivision thereof), the Excise Tax could be imposed on us in connection with redemptions of our Ordinary Shares after or in connection with such initial Business Combination; |
Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company
| ● | the officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial Business Combination. The loss of a Business Combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business; |
| ● | subsequent to our completion of our initial Business Combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause our shareholders to lose some or all of their investment; |
| ● | our Management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial Business Combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business; |
| ● | we may 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; |
| ● | our initial Business Combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our shareholders and Warrant holders. As a result of our Business Combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and/or uncertain; |
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Risks Relating to Acquiring or Operating a Business in Foreign Countries
| ● | we may not be able to complete an initial Business Combination because such initial Business Combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements, including foreign investment regulations and review by government entities such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or may be ultimately prohibited; |
| ● | if we effect our initial Business Combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may adversely affect us; |
| ● | we may reincorporate in, or transfer by way of continuation to, another jurisdiction, which may result in taxes imposed on our shareholders or Warrant holders; |
| ● | we may reincorporate in or transfer by way of continuation to another jurisdiction in connection with our initial Business Combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights; |
| ● | we are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance; |
| ● | if our Management following our initial Business Combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues; |
| ● | exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished; |
| ● | after our initial Business Combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue will be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate; |
Risks Relating to our Management Team
| ● | our officers and directors 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; |
| ● | changes in the market for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | we may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers; |
| ● | past performance by our Sponsor, Management Team, Board and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in our Company; |
| ● | we are dependent upon our officers and directors and their loss, or a reduction in the amount of time they can dedicate to our initial Business Combination, could adversely affect our ability to operate; |
| ● | our ability to successfully effect our initial Business Combination and to be successful thereafter is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial Business Combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business; |
| ● | the ownership interest of our Sponsor may change, and our Sponsor may divest its ownership interest in us before identifying a Business Combination, which could deprive us of key personnel and advisors; |
| ● | our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular Business Combination, and a particular Business Combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial Business Combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular Business Combination is the most advantageous; |
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| ● | our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including other blank check companies, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented; |
| ● | members of our Management Team and Board of Directors have significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. Certain of those persons have been, are currently, or may become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including related to those companies or otherwise. This may have an adverse effect on us, which may impede our ability to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
| ● | members of our Management Team and affiliated companies may have been, and may in the future be, involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business; |
Risks Relating to our Securities and Shareholder Rights
| ● | to mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time (based on our Management Team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the Trust Account and instead to hold the funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of our initial Business Combination or our liquidation. As a result, following the liquidation of investments in the Trust Account, we will likely receive less interest on the funds held in the Trust Account than we would have had the Trust Account remained as initially invested, such that our Public Shareholders would receive less upon any redemption or liquidation of our Company than what they would have received had the investments not been liquidated; |
| ● | our Public Shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their Public Shares; |
| ● | if third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by Public Shareholders may be less than the Redemption Price; |
| ● | our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our Sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the Trust Account available for distribution to our Public Shareholders; |
| ● | the securities in which we invest the funds held in the Trust Account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the interest income available for payment of taxes or reduce the value of the assets held in the Trust Account such that the per-share redemption amount received by Public Shareholders may be less than the Redemption Price; |
| ● | if, before distributing the proceeds in the Trust Account to our Public Shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our Public Shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced; |
| ● | if, after we distribute the proceeds in the Trust Account to our Public Shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a liquidator or a bankruptcy, insolvency or other court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our Board of Directors and us to claims of punitive damages; |
| ● | an active market for our public securities may not continue, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities, and our shareholders may have limited liquidity and trading; |
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| ● | since our Sponsor, directors and officers 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 the Initial Public Offering), and because our Sponsor, officers and directors may profit substantially even under circumstances in which 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; |
| ● | the value of the Founder Shares following completion of our initial Business Combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our Public Shares at such time is substantially less than the Redemption Price; |
| ● | Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions; |
| ● | our Public Shareholders do not have any rights or interests in funds from the Trust Account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate their investment, they may be forced to sell their Public Shares or Public Warrants, potentially at a loss; |
| ● | our Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.0021 per Founder Share and, accordingly, our Public Shareholders experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | the nominal purchase price paid by our Sponsor for the Founder Shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of the 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; |
| ● | because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, our shareholders may face difficulties in protecting their interests, and their ability to protect their rights through the U.S. Federal courts may be limited; |
| ● | after our initial Business Combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore, shareholders may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights; |
| ● | provisions in our Amended and Restated Articles may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A Ordinary Shares and could entrench Management; |
| ● | our Amended and Restated Articles provide that the courts of the Cayman Islands will be the exclusive forums for certain disputes between us and our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for complaints against us or our directors, officers or employees; |
| ● | whether a redemption of Public Shares will be treated as a sale of such Class A Ordinary Shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on a shareholder’s specific facts; |
| ● | we may amend the terms of the Public Warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of Public Warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Public Warrants. As a result, the exercise price of the Public Warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of Class A Ordinary Shares purchasable upon exercise of a Public Warrant could be decreased, all without shareholder approval; |
| ● | the Warrant Agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our Warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our Company; |
| ● | a provision of the Warrant Agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial Business Combination; |
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| ● | our Warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | because each Unit contains one-half of one Warrant and only a whole Warrant may be exercised, the Units may be worth less than units of other SPACs; |
| ● | Warrant holders will not be permitted to exercise their Warrants unless we register and qualify the underlying Class A Ordinary Shares or certain exemptions are available; |
| ● | holders may only be able to exercise Public Warrants on a “cashless basis” under certain circumstances, and if they do so, they will receive fewer Class A Ordinary Shares from such exercise than if they were to exercise such Public Warrants for cash; |
| ● | holders of Class A Ordinary Shares are not entitled to vote on continuing our Company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands; |
| ● | the grant of registration rights to our Sponsor, BTIG and other holders of our Private Placement Units (and their underlying securities) may make it more difficult to complete our initial Business Combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | we may be a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences to our U.S. shareholders; and |
| ● | we are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies. |
For additional risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our IPO Registration Statement. As of the date of this Report, there have been no material changes with respect to those risk factors, other than as set forth below. Any of these previously disclosed risk factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our ability to consummate an initial Business Combination. We may disclose changes to such risk factors or disclose additional risk factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
We may seek to extend the Combination Period, which could reduce the amount held in our Trust Account and have adverse effects on our Company.
If we are unable to consummate our initial Business Combination on or before January 28, 2028, we may seek shareholder approval to extend the Combination Period by amending our Amended and Restated Articles. In such event, our Public Shareholders will be provided the opportunity to have all or a portion of their Public Shares redeemed. Any redemptions will reduce the amount held in our Trust Account, the effect of which may adversely affect our ability to consummate our initial Business Combination and may also impair our ability to maintain our Nasdaq listing.
The share price of the post-Business Combination company may be less than the Redemption Price of our Public Shares.
Each Public Unit sold in our Initial Public Offering at an offering price of $10.00 per Public Unit consisted of one Public Share and one-half of one Public Warrant. Of the proceeds we received from the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, $360,000,000 was placed in our Trust Account. We will provide our Public Shareholders the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination, and potentially upon the occurrence of certain other events prior to our initial Business Combination. As of the Initial Public Offering, the pro rata Redemption Price in any redemption will be approximately $10.00 per Public Share (before taxes payable, if any), representing a pro rata portion of our Trust Account without taking into account any interest or other income earned on such funds (less any withdrawals from such interest or income for taxes paid), although the Redemption Price may be less in certain circumstances. As a result, Public Shareholders who own our Public Shares on a redemption date can anticipate receiving the Redemption Price in connection with a redemption for each Public Share that they choose to redeem.
There can be no assurance that, after our initial Business Combination, our Public Shareholders would be able to sell their shares in the post-Business Combination company for the Redemption Price, or any higher price. We have not, as yet, identified a target and are therefore unable to provide any assurances as to its financial condition, business prospects or potential risks. It is therefore possible that the share price of the post-Business Combination company may decline below the Redemption Price. In recent years, the share prices of many post-Business Combination companies have fallen following a Business Combination. As a result, if our Public Shareholders continue to hold shares in the post-Business Combination company following our initial Business Combination, we cannot assure our shareholders that the trading price of such shares will be greater than the Redemption Price.
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity.
Although, as a blank check company, we do not have any operations, we are nonetheless subject to the risk of cybersecurity incidents. Among other things, the investments in our Trust Account and bank deposits may be vulnerable to such incidents, and we may depend on the digital technologies of third parties. We and
Item 2. Properties.
Our executive offices are located at 930 Tahoe Blvd, STE 802 PMB, Incline Village, Nevada 89451, and our telephone number is (775) 204-1489. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
To the knowledge of our Management Team, there is no material litigation currently pending or contemplated against us, any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such, or against any of our property.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
| (a) | Market Information |
Our Public Units, Public Shares and Public Warrants are each traded on the Global Market tier of Nasdaq under the symbols “MLAAU”, “MLAA” and “MLAAW”, respectively. Our Public Units commenced public trading on January 27, 2026, and our Public Shares and Public Warrants commenced separate public trading on March 19, 2026.
| (b) | Holders |
On March 20, 2026, there were three holders of record of our Units, one holder of record of our Class A Ordinary Shares, one holder of record of our Class B Ordinary Shares and one holder of record of our Warrants.
| (c) | Dividends |
We have not paid any cash dividends on our Ordinary Shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial Business Combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial Business Combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial Business Combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
| (d) | Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans |
None.
| (e) | Performance Graph |
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information required by Regulation S-K Item 201(e).
| (f) | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities |
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units to the Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds to us of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units. The Private Placement Units (and underlying securities) are identical to the Public Units (and underlying securities), except as otherwise disclosed in the IPO Registration Statement. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sale. The issuance of the Private Placement Units was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
| (g) | Use of Proceeds |
On January 28, 2026, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 36,000,000 Public Units, including 4,680,000 Option Units issued pursuant to the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. Each Public Unit consists of one Public Share, and one-half of one Public Warrant, with each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.
The Public Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Public Unit, generating gross proceeds to us of $360,000,000. BTIG acted as the sole book-running manager and representative of the Underwriters. On January 28, 2026, simultaneously with the consummation of our Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, to our Sponsor and BTIG, generating gross proceeds of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units.
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Following the closing of our Initial Public Offering on January 28, 2026, a total of $360,000,000, comprised of the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering (which amount includes $12,600,000 of the Deferred Fee) and the proceeds from the Private Placement, was placed in a U.S.-based Trust Account maintained by Continental, acting as trustee. The proceeds held in the Trust Account may be invested by Continental, as trustee, solely (i) 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, (ii) in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, (iii) as uninvested cash or (iv) in an interest or non-interest bearing demand deposit account at a U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more selected by Continental that is reasonably satisfactory to us. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the Trust Account, we may, at any time (based on our Management Team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the Trust Account and instead to hold the funds in the Trust Account in cash or in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank.
The remaining proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement are held outside the Trust Account. Such funds are being used primarily to enable us to identify a target and to negotiate and consummate our initial Business Combination.
There has been no material change in the planned use of the proceeds from our Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement as described in the IPO Registration Statement. The specific investments in our Trust Account may change from time to time.
| (h) | Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers |
There were no purchases of our equity securities by us or an affiliate during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by the Report.
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Report including, without limitation, statements under this Item regarding our financial position, possible Business Combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, and the plans and objectives of Management for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this Report, words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our Management, identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our Management’s current expectations and projections about future events, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to our Management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Report.
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Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on October 16, 2025, for the purpose of effecting a Business Combination. Our Sponsor is Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC.
Although we are not limited in our search for target businesses to a particular industry or sector for the purpose of consummating the Business Combination, our primary focus, is in completing a Business Combination with an established business of scale poised for continued growth, led by a highly regarded management team. We are an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies. We expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. There can be no assurance that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.
Our IPO Registration Statement became effective on January 26, 2026. On January 28, 2026, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 360,000,000 Public Units, including 4,680,000 Option Units issued pursuant to the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. Each Public Unit consists of one Public Share and one-half of one Public Warrant. The Public Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Public Unit, generating gross proceeds to us of $360,000,000.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements, we completed the sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units to the Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds to us of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units. The Private Placement Units (and underlying securities) are identical to the Public Units (and underlying securities), except as otherwise disclosed in the IPO Registration Statement.
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement, an amount of $9,800,000 from the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement was initially placed in the Trust Account located in the United States with Continental acting as trustee. Pursuant to the Trust Agreement, the Trust Account may be invested only (i) 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, (ii) in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, (iii) as uninvested cash or (iv) in an interest or non-interest bearing demand deposit account at a U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more selected by the Continental that is reasonably satisfactory to us, until the earlier of: (x) the completion of the Business Combination and (y) the distribution of the Trust Account, as described below.
We have until January 28, 2028 (24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering), or until such (x) earlier date as our Board may approve or (y) later date as our shareholders may approve, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Articles, to consummate the Business Combination. If we are unable to complete the Business Combination by the end of the Combination Period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes, if any, divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, dissolve and liquidate, subject, in each case, to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
We may seek to extend the Combination Period consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules by amending our Amended and Restated Articles. Any such amendment would require the approval of our shareholders, and our Public Shareholders will be provided the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with the vote on such approval. Such redemptions will decrease the amount held in our Trust Account and our capitalization, and may affect our ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. In addition, the Nasdaq Rules currently require SPACs (such as us) to complete their initial Business Combination in accordance with the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement. If we do not meet the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement, our securities will likely be subject to suspension of trading and delisting from Nasdaq. Our Sponsor may also, in its discretion, consider selling its interest in our Company to another sponsor entity, which may result in a change to our Management Team.
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Recent Developments
On January 28, 2026, we consummated the Initial Public Offering of 36,000,000 Public Units, which includes the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option in the amount of 4,680,000 Option Units, at $10.00 per Public Unit, generating gross proceeds of $360,000,000.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the private sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units, in the Private Placement to the Sponsor and BTIG, at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units.
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, on January 28, 2026, an amount of $360,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Units placed in the Trust Account.
On January 28, 2026, we had borrowed $362,938 under the IPO Promissory Note, which we paid in full at the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the borrowings under the IPO Promissory Note are no longer available.
On January 28, 2026, a related party had paid for expenses on our behalf oy totaling to $29,911, which we repaid in full at the closing of the Initial Public Offering.
We agreed that commencing on the closing of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and our liquidation, to pay our (i) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and (ii) Chief Financial Officer and Director, a total of $20,000 per month for their services as our executive officers and directors.
On March 11, 2026, the Underwriters forfeited the remaining unexercised balance of 18,000 Option Units. As a result of the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option and forfeiture of the unexercised Over-Allotment Option, 6,000 Founder Shares were forfeited by the Sponsor for no consideration.
Commencing on March 19, 2026, the holders of the Public Shares and Public Warrants may elect to separately trade the Public Shares and the Public Warrants. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Public Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. Any Public Units not separated will continue to trade on the Global Market tier of Nasdaq under the symbol “MLAAU.” The Public Shares and the Public Warrants will trade on the Global Market tier of Nasdaq under the symbols “MLAA” and “MLAAW,” respectively.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, were (i) organizational activities and (ii) activities relating to the Initial Public Offering. We will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial Business Combination. We have generated non-operating income in the form of interest income on investments held in the Trust Account after the Initial Public Offering. We expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance, among other things), as well as for due diligence expenses.
For the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, we had a net loss of $82,211, which consists of formation, general, and administrative costs.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Following the Initial Public Offering, including the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, and the Private Placement, a total of $360,000,000 was placed in the Trust Account. We incurred fees of $20,458,198 in the Initial Public Offering, consisting of $7,200,000 of cash underwriting fee, the Deferred Fee of $12,600,000 and $658,198 of other offering costs.
For the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, net cash used in operating activities was $0. Net loss of $82,211 was affected by payment of formation, general, and administrative costs through the IPO Promissory Note of $34,566, payment of general and administrative costs through advances from a related party of $10,445, formation costs paid by the Sponsor in exchange for Class B Ordinary Shares of $10,700, and changes in accrued expenses of $26,500.
As of December 31, 2025, we did not have assets held in the Trust Account. Following the Initial Public Offering, we may withdraw interest from the Trust Account to pay taxes, if any. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, if any, and exclude the Deferred Fee), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our share capital or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our Business Combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
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To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the Trust Account, we may, at any time, (based on our Management Team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act) instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the Trust Account and instead to hold the funds in the Trust Account in cash or in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank.
As of December 31, 2025, we had no cash held outside of the Trust Account and a working capital deficit of $218,754. Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we had cash held outside of the Trust Account of approximately $1,878,537 and working capital of $1,836,637. Since the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we use the funds held outside the Trust Account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants, or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.
Our liquidity needs through December 31, 2025, were satisfied through (i) a contribution of $25,000 from the Sponsor in exchange for the issuance of our Founder Shares and (ii) a loan pursuant to the IPO Promissory Note.
IPO Promissory Note
Prior to the closing of our Initial Public Offering, our Sponsor agreed to loan us an aggregate of up to $500,000 under the IPO Promissory Note to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering. Such loans and advances were non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2026, or the completion of our Initial Public Offering. As of December 31, 2025, there was $168,835 outstanding under the IPO Promissory Note. On January 28, 2026, we had borrowed $362,938, which we paid in full at the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Borrowings under the IPO Promissory Note are no longer available.
Working Capital Loans
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us Working Capital Loans, as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we will repay such Working Capital Loans. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be converted into units of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units (and underlying securities) would be identical to the Private Placement Units (and underlying securities). As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any borrowings under any Working Capital Loans.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our Business Combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon consummation of our Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination.
Contractual Obligations
We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than as follows:
Advances from Related Party
As of December 31, 2025, a related party paid for expenses on our behalf totaling $29,911. On January 28, 2026, we repaid such $29,911 in full at the closing of the Initial Public Offering.
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Service Agreement
We agreed, commencing on the closing of the Initial Public Offering, to pay our (i) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and (ii) Chief Financial Officer and Director a total of $20,000 per month for their services as our executive officers and directors. Upon completion of the initial Business Combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. As of December 31, 2025, such arrangement had not been formalized with a written agreement, and we did not incur any of these fees.
Underwriting Agreement
As of December 31, 2025, the Underwriting Agreement had not been executed.
We granted the Underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to an additional 4,698,000 Option Units to cover over-allotments, if any. On January 28, 2026, the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option in the amount of 4,680,000 Option Units. On March 11, 2026, the Underwriters forfeited the remaining unexercised balance of 18,000 Option Units.
The Underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of $7,200,000 in the aggregate (2.0% of the gross proceeds of the Public Units offered in the Initial Public Offering), which was paid on the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Additionally, the Underwriters are entitled to the Deferred Fee of $0.35 per Public Unit sold in the Initial Public Offering, or $12,600,000 in the aggregate. Subject to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, The Deferred Fee will become payable to the Underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account and will be released to the Underwriters only upon the consummation of an initial Business Combination, but (i) $0.15 per Public Unit of such $0.35 per Public Unit shall be paid to the Underwriters in cash, based on the funds remaining in the Trust Account after giving effect to Public Shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial Business Combination and (ii) $0.05 per Unit of such $0.35 per Unit shall be allocable by our Company to certain third parties that are members of FINRA, but that did not participate in the Initial Public Offering, that assist the Company in consummating its initial Business Combination.
Registration Rights Agreement
As of December 31, 2025, the Registration Rights Agreement had not been executed.
The holders of (i) the Founder Shares, (ii) the Private Placement Units and (iii) any private placement-equivalent units issued in connection with the Working Capital Loans, if any (and in each case holders of their underlying securities, as applicable) are entitled to registration rights pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to our Class A Ordinary Shares). The holders of the majority 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 “piggyback” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. BTIG may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement. In addition, BTIG may participate in a “piggyback” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Letter Agreement
As of December 31, 2025, the Letter Agreement had not been executed.
Our Sponsor, directors and officers have entered into the Letter Agreement with us, pursuant to which, they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if they acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Additionally, pursuant to the Letter Agreement, our Sponsor, directors and officers will not propose any amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles to modify (i) the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period or (ii) any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares.
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Critical Accounting Estimates and Standards
The preparation of the financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Report in conformity with GAAP requires Management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, in our financial statements. These accounting estimates require the use of assumptions about matters, some of which are highly uncertain at the time of estimation. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments, and we evaluate these estimates on an ongoing basis. To the extent actual experience differs from the assumptions used, our financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Report could be materially affected. We believe that the following accounting policies involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity. As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any critical accounting estimates to be disclosed.
Recent Accounting Standards
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU Topic 2023-07, “Segment reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). The amendments in ASU 2023-07 require disclosures, on an annual and interim basis, of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), as well as the aggregate amount of other segment items included in the reported measure of segment profit or loss. ASU 2023-07 requires that a public entity disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. Public entities will be required to provide all annual disclosures currently required by FASB ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting” (“ASC 280”). in interim periods, and entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide all the disclosures required by the amendments in ASU 2023-07 and existing segment disclosures in ASC 280. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. We adopted ASU 2023-07 on October 16, 2025, the date of our inception.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU Topic 2023-09, “Income taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosure” (“ASU 2023-09”), which enhances the transparency and usefulness of income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. We adopted ASU 2023- 09 on October 16, 2025, the date of our incorporation. Adoption of the ASU 2023-09 did not impact our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that there are any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, which, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Report.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this Item.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Reference is made to pages F-1 through F-19 comprising a portion of this Report, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
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Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our Management, including our Certifying Officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Under the supervision and with the participation of our Management, including our Certifying Officers, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on the foregoing, our Certifying Officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2025.
We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
This Report does not include a report of Management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by the rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Not applicable.
Item 9B. Other Information.
Trading Arrangements
During the quarterly period ended December 31, 2025, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act)
Additional Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
As of the date of this Report, our directors and officers are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Paul Grinberg | 64 | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | ||
| Douglas Horlick | 53 | Chief Financial Officer and Director | ||
| Jeffrey Lager | 57 | Independent Director Nominee | ||
| Michael Marquez | 52 | Independent Director Nominee | ||
| Jamie Vieser | 56 | Independent Director Nominee |
The experience of our directors and executive officers is as follows:
Paul Grinberg has served as Chairman of our Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer since October 2025. Mr. Grinberg has over 20 years of experience as a Director, Chairman, President or Chief Financial Officer of several NASDAQ and NYSE companies and more than 40 years of experience spanning mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and financial management. Mr. Grinberg currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp., a SPAC. Mr. Grinberg also currently serves on the board of TRAK America, a business solution provider, a position he has held since April 2019. Additionally, Mr. Grinberg currently serves as the Chairman of Axos Financial, Inc., a nationwide, digital-first bank that provides consumer and business banking products through its low-cost distribution channels and affinity partner. He has served as a director of Axos Financial, Inc. since April 2004 and as the Chairman of its board of directors since February 2017. He played an important role in taking the company public and growing earnings from $2 million to approximately $430 million from 2004 to 2025. From July 2020 to September 2025, Mr. Grinberg has served on the advisory council of DEVA Capital, an affiliate of Banco Santander, as an alternative investor, specializing in credit across Europe and Latin America. From August 2019 to April 2024, Mr. Grinberg has served as a senior advisor at Flexpoint Ford LLC, a private equity investment firm specializing in the financial services and healthcare industries. From November 2020 to February 2024, Mr. Grinberg served as Chairman of Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I (NYSE: SLAC), a special purpose acquisition company formed to effect a Business Combination with one or more businesses. From July 2019 to October 2022, Mr. Grinberg served as a senior advisor at Blenheim Chalcot, one of the UK’s largest venture builders. Mr. Grinberg provides advisory services to private equity, credit funds and venture capital firms and their related businesses with a focus on financial services and financial technology. He also serves as a director to several credit funds and private companies. From July 2013 to December 2018 Mr. Grinberg served as a member of the board of directors of Cabot Credit Management. Prior to Axos, Mr. Grinberg served as President, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Encore Capital Group and Chief Financial Officer of Telespectrum Worldwide, Inc. Mr. Grinberg also served as partner and a senior member of the M&A services group at Deloitte, where he was employed for 14 years. During his tenure at Deloitte and in his capacity as an executive at various public and private companies, he worked on dozens of transactions including IPOs, acquisitions and debt offerings and in his capacity as an executive at various companies, was responsible for raising more than $10 billion across the capital markets. He graduated from Columbia Business School with a Master of Business Administration degree and from Yeshiva University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting. We believe that Mr. Grinberg’s significant experience in corporate transactions and his senior leadership experience makes him well qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors
Douglas Horlick has served as our Chief Financial Officer, and a member of our Board of Directors since October 2025. Currently, Mr. Horlick serves as Chief Financial Officer, President and Director of MLAC, a position he has held since June 2024. Since May 2020, Mr. Horlick has worked as an investment banker at BCW Securities LLC. Mr. Horlick is also the founder of Estancia LLC, a strategy and advisory consulting firm based in Arizona established in 2015. Leveraging his industry expertise, he works closely with C-suite executives on both strategy and global sales initiatives. He has over 25 years of experience in the securities industry. From November 2020 to February 2024, Mr. Horlick served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I (NYSE: SLAC), a special purpose acquisition company formed to effect a Business Combination with one or more businesses. Prior to Estancia LLC, Mr. Horlick held senior securities positions at Bank of America (Managing Director, Securities Division, from 2009 to 2014), Goldman Sachs (Managing Director, Securities Division, from 2005 to 2009) and Citigroup (Vice President, Securities Division, from 2002 to 2005). In these roles, Mr. Horlick’s responsibilities all within the Foreign Exchange Division included Managing Director in charge of Foreign Exchange Global Client Coverage, Global Prime Brokerage, Institutional Sales in the Americas, Consumer Sales and Hedge Fund Sales. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Organizational Studies.
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Jeffrey Lager has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2026. Jeffrey Lager has over 28 years of public equity investment experience. Mr. Lager currently serves on the board of directors for Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp., a position he has held since December 2024. In 2024, he retired as a Partner after over 27 years with Capital Group, investment manager of the American Funds. At Capital Group, Mr. Lager recently served as the Principal Investment Officer, Co-President, and a Portfolio Manager of the $200 billion American Balanced Fund, Senior Vice-President and a Portfolio Manager of the $175 billion Washington Mutual Investors Fund, and a portfolio manager of the $25 billion American Funds Insurance Series Asset Allocation Fund. Mr. Lager also served over two decades as an American Funds proxy coordinator and proxy voter, during which time he developed corporate governance expertise by writing proxy guidelines, working in close partnership with public company management and boards, and voting upon thousands of proxy proposals. Earlier in his career at Capital, he served as an equity investment analyst covering U.S. environmental services, IT & business services, technology hardware and supply chain, and IT outsourcing and transaction processing companies. Previously, Mr. Lager worked as a manager of investment analysis at Medical Portfolio Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an associate at the Boston Consulting Group in Boston. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, as well as a master’s degree in sociology and a bachelor’s degree with distinction in decision analysis from Stanford University. Mr. Lager also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Michael Marquez has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2026. Mr. Marquez currently serves on the board of directors for Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp., a position he has held since December 2024. Additionally, beginning February 2021, Mr. Marquez has served as a member of the board of directors of Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I (NYSE: SLAC), a special purpose acquisition company formed to effect a Business Combination with one or more businesses. Mr. Marquez has over 29 years of experience operating, investing, acquiring and advising throughout the high-tech sector. He is a co-founder of Code Advisors LLC, a technology and media-focused boutique investment bank headquartered in San Francisco, California established in 2010 and acquired by the Raine Group in 2023, where Mr. Marquez is a Special Advisor. Code Advisors has completed a multitude of M&A transactions and financings including late-stage growth equity financings in Spotify and Twitter, IPO processes for Twitter, Angie’s List and Survey Monkey, and the sale of Supercell to SoftBank, Buddy Media to Salesforce and Playtika to Giant. Mr. Marquez is also the co-founder of Morado Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund established in 2010 that is focused on artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, robotics & autonomy, computer vision and health. Mr. Marquez has served as Morado Ventures’ general partner since inception. During his career, Mr. Marquez has made approximately 140 direct investments and built a broad network across technology company executives, entrepreneurs, founders and corporate development groups throughout the world and an extensive network in each stage of the venture capital industry. Mr. Marquez has invested in and advised on venture exits to a large number of sophisticated acquirers including sales to Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Twitter, Citrix, US Bank, First Data, Facebook, Google, Samsung, Salesforce, Roche, Intel, Walmart, Rakuten, eBay, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft and McDonald’s and has led the acquisitions of numerous companies through his roles in the corporate development groups at Yahoo! and CBS, including the $1.8 billion acquisition of CNET. He graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science degree in Managerial Economics from the University of California at Davis.
Jaime Vieser has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2026. Mr. Vieser currently serves on the board of directors for Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp., a position he has held since December 2024. Additionally, Mr. Vieser is the Chief Executive Officer of Brushwood LLC, a position he has held since June 2017, and a member of the board of directors of Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc., a position he has held since December 2020. Mr. Vieser has over 30 years of experience investing across high yield, distressed debt, private equity and venture capital. Mr. Vieser’s experience includes his involvement in numerous successful corporate restructurings and recapitalizations in Europe and the US. Mr. Vieser helped found and was Co-Managing Partner of Castle Hill Asset Management LLC (“Castle Hill”), a multi-billion dollar asset manager and hedge fund. Prior to founding Castle Hill, for 9 years Mr. Vieser was responsible for the European High Yield Sales and Trading Group in London at Deutsche Bank AG, a multinational investment bank and financial services company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Vieser worked as a banker in the Leveraged Finance division of Bankers Trust Company, a bank holding company that was acquired by Deutsche Bank AG in 1999. Mr. Vieser holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
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Family Relationships
No family relationships exist between any of our directors or executive officers.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
There are no material proceedings to which any director or executive officer has been involved in the last ten years that are material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of any director or officer.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of five (5) members and is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. Prior to the closing of our initial Business Combination, only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares are entitled to vote on (i) the appointment and removal of directors and (ii) continuing our Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any Special Resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Our Public Shareholders are not entitled to vote on such matters during such time. These provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles relating to these rights of holders of Class B Ordinary Shares may be amended by a Special Resolution passed by the affirmative vote of the holders representing at least 90% of the issued Class B Ordinary Shares. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, which consists of Jamie. Vieser, expires at our first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, which consists of Jeffrey Lager and Michael Marquez, expires at the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, which consists of Douglas Horlick and Paul Grinberg, expires at the third annual general meeting.
Our officers are appointed by the Board of Directors and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our Board of Directors is authorized to appoint officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to our Amended and Restated Articles.
Committees of the Board of Directors
We have two standing committees of the Board: the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. Subject to phase-in rules, the Nasdaq Rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee operates under a charter that was approved by our Board and has the composition and responsibilities described below.
Audit Committee
Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser serve as the members of our Audit Committee. Under the Nasdaq Rules and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the Audit Committee, all of whom must be independent. Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser are each independent.
Mr. Marquez serves as the chair of the Audit Committee. Each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Hope Ni qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We have adopted an Audit Committee charter, which details the principal functions of the Audit Committee, including:
| ● | assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
| ● | pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the independent registered public accounting firm have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; |
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| ● | setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the independent registered public accounting firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; |
| ● | meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with Management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; |
| ● | reviewing with Management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the FASB, the SEC or other regulatory authorities; | |
| ● | advising the Board and any other Board committees if the clawback provisions of the SEC Clawback Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change, with the assistance of Management and to the extent that our securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to the SEC Clawback Rule; and | |
| ● | implementing and overseeing our cybersecurity and information security policies, and periodically reviewing the policies and managing potential cybersecurity incidents. |
Compensation Committee
The members of our Compensation Committee are Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser. Mr. Lager serves as chair of the Compensation Committee. Under the Nasdaq Rules and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have a compensation committee of at least two members, all of whom must be independent. Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser are each independent.
We have adopted a Compensation Committee charter, which details the principal functions of the Compensation Committee, including:
| ● | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation; |
| ● | reviewing and making recommendations to our Board of Directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to Board approval of all of our other officers; |
| ● | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| ● | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
| ● | assisting Management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
| ● | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; |
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| ● | producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; |
| ● | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors; and |
| ● | advising the Board and any other Board committees if the clawback provisions of the SEC Clawback Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change and perform any other tasks required of it by the Clawback Policy, with the assistance of Management and to the extent that our securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to the SEC Clawback Rule. |
The charter also provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and are directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.
Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or the Nasdaq Rules. In accordance with Rule 5605-6(e) of the Nasdaq Rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the Nasdaq Rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.
The Board of Directors also considers director candidates recommended for nomination by our shareholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for appointment at the next annual general meeting (or, if applicable, an extraordinary general meeting). Our shareholders that wish to nominate a director for appointment to our Board of Directors should follow the procedures set forth in our Amended and Restated Articles.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, our Board of Directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial Business Combination, holders of our Public Shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our Board of Directors.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted the Code of Ethics. If we make any amendments to our Code of Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC rules or the Nasdaq Rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Report or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
The foregoing description of the Code of Ethics does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Code of Ethics, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 14.
Trading Policies
We
The foregoing description of the Insider Trading Policy does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Insider Trading Policy, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 19.
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Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Other than as set forth below, none of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our Sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination, have been and will continue to be paid from funds held outside the Trust Account:
| ● | Following the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, payment to Paul Grinberg, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Douglas Horlick, our Chief Financial Officer and Director, a total of $20,000 per month for their services as our executive officers and directors; |
| ● | Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Horlick have each received an indirect interest in 20.75% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 0.49% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor. In addition, each of Jaime Vieser and Jeffery Lager, two of our independent directors, have received an indirect interest in 10.04% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 6.86% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor and Michael Marquez has received an indirect interest in 0.42% of the total Founder Shares through membership interests in our Sponsor. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as the managing members of our Sponsor, have the right to control the Sponsor and participate in the decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the Sponsor; |
| ● | Payment of consulting, success or finder fees to our Sponsor, officer, directors, or their respective affiliates in connection with the consummation of our initial Business Combination; |
| ● | We may engage our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial Business Combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a salary or fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions; |
| ● | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial Business Combination; and |
| ● | Repayment of Working Capital Loans that may be made by our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into units of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the applicable lender. Such units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such Working Capital Loans. |
After the completion of our initial Business Combination, directors or members of our Management Team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed initial Business Combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of Management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial Business Combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation.
Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers by our Company will be determined, or recommended to the Board of Directors for determination, either by the Compensation Committee, which is constituted solely by independent directors, or by a majority of the independent directors on our Board of Directors.
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We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our Management Team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial Business Combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial Business Combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our Management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, but we do not believe that the ability of our Management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial Business Combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential Business Combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Compensation Recovery and Clawback Policy
On January 20, 2026, our Board of Directors approved the adoption of the Clawback Policy, effective as of January 27, 2026, in order to comply with the SEC Clawback Rule, and the Nasdaq Rules, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5608. At no time during the fiscal year covered by this Report were we required to prepare an accounting restatement that required recovery of an erroneously awarded compensation pursuant to the Clawback Policy, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 97.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Ordinary Shares as of March 20, 2026 based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of Ordinary Shares, by:
| ● | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares; |
| ● | each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns our Ordinary Shares; and |
| ● | all our executive officers and directors as a group. |
In the table below, percentage ownership is based on 48,980,000 Ordinary Shares, consisting of (i) 36,980,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and (ii) 12,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, issued and outstanding as of March 20, 2026. On all matters to be voted upon, except for (x) the appointment and removal of directors to the Board and (y) continuing our Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares vote together as a single class, unless otherwise required by applicable law. Currently, all of the Class B Ordinary Shares are convertible into Class A Ordinary Shares on a one-for-one basis.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the Private Placement Warrants as these Private Placement Warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Report.
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| Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Approximate | ||||||||||||||||||
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Approximate Percentage of Class | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned(2) | Approximate Percentage of Class | Percentage of Total Outstanding Ordinary Shares | |||||||||||||||
| Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC(3) | 510,000 | 1.38 | % | 12,000,000 | 100.00 | % | 25.54 | % | ||||||||||||
| Paul Grinberg(3) | 510,000 | 1.38 | % | 12,000,000 | 100.00 | % | 25.54 | % | ||||||||||||
| Douglas Horlick(3) | 510,000 | 1.38 | % | 12,000,000 | 100.00 | % | 25.54 | % | ||||||||||||
| Jeffrey T. Lager(4) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| Michael Marquez(4) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| Jamie W. Vieser(4) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| All officers and directors as a group (Five persons) | 510,000 | 1.38 | % | 12,000,000 | 100.00 | % | 25.54 | % | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the principal business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II, 930 Tahoe Blvd, STE 802, PMB 45, Incline Village, Nevada 89451. |
| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of Founder Shares, classified as Class B Ordinary Shares. Such Founder Shares will automatically convert into Class A Ordinary Shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial Business Combination or earlier at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. |
| (3) | Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC, our Sponsor, is the record holder of such Ordinary Shares. Paul Grinberg and Douglas Horlick, as the managing members of Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC, share voting and investment discretion with respect to the Ordinary Shares held of record by the Sponsor. Paul Grinberg and Douglas Horlick disclaim any beneficial ownership of the Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsor, other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly. |
| (4) | Each of Jaime Vieser and Jeffery Lager, two of our independent directors, have received an indirect interest in 10.04% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 6.86% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor and Michael Marquez has received an indirect interest in 0.42% of the total Founder Shares through membership interests in our Sponsor. Such persons disclaim any beneficial ownership of the Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsor, other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly. |
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Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
Changes in Control
None.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
On October 23, 2025, our Sponsor purchased, and we issued to the Sponsor, 10,005,000 Class B Ordinary Shares for $25,000, or approximately $0.0025 per share, to cover certain of our offering costs. On January 26, 2026, through a share capitalization, we issued an additional 2,001,000 Founder Shares to our Sponsor, resulting in our Sponsor holding an aggregate of 12,006,000 Founder Shares, resulting in a price per Founder Share of approximately $0.0021.
The number of Founder Shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of the Initial Public Offering would be a maximum of 36,018,000 Public Units if the Over-Allotment Option was exercised in full, and excluding the Private Placement Shares, and therefore that such Founder Shares would represent 25% of the outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering. Up to 1,566,000 of the Founder Shares were to be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the Over-Allotment Option was exercised. On January 28, 2026, the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option in the amount of 4,680,000 Option Units. On March 11, 2026, the Underwriters forfeited the remaining unexercised balance of 18,000 Option Units. As a result of the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option and forfeiture of the unexercised Over-Allotment Option, 6,000 Founder Shares were forfeited by the Sponsor for no consideration.
Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Horlick have each received an indirect interest in 20.75% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 0.49% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor. In addition, each of Jaime Vieser and Jeffery Lager, two of our independent directors, have received an indirect interest in 10.04% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 6.86% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor through membership interests in our Sponsor and Michael Marquez has received an indirect interest in 0.42% of the total Founder Shares through membership interests in our Sponsor. Additionally, following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, Mr. John Norton holds an indirect interest in approximately 37.27% of the total Founder Shares held by our Sponsor and approximately 83.33% of the Private Placement Units held by our Sponsor. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as the managing members of our Sponsor, have the right to control the Sponsor and participate in the decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the Sponsor.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 980,000 Private Placement Units to our Sponsor and BTIG in the Private Placement at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds to our Company of $9,800,000. Of those 980,000 Private Placement Units, the Sponsor purchased 510,000 Private Placement Units and BTIG purchased 470,000 Private Placement Units. The Private Placement Units (and underlying securities) are identical to the Public Units (and underlying securities), except that, so long as they are held by our Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Units (i) may not (including the Private Placement Share), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial Business Combination, and (ii) are entitled to registration rights.
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Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination, there may be payment by the company to our Sponsor, officers or directors or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination, will be paid from funds held outside the Trust Account.
Prior to the closing of our Initial Public Offering, our Sponsor agreed to loan us an aggregate of up to $500,000 under the IPO Promissory Note to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering. Such loans and advances were non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2026, or the completion of our Initial Public Offering. As of December 31, 2025, there was $168,835 outstanding under the IPO Promissory Note. On January 28, 2026, we had borrowed $362,938, which we paid in full at the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Borrowings under the IPO Promissory Note are no longer available.
Following the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, we pay Paul Grinberg, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Douglas Horlick, our Chief Financial Officer and Director, a total of $20,000 per month for their services as our executive officers and directors. Upon completion of our initial Business Combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us Working Capital Loans, as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we will repay such Working Capital Loans. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be converted into units of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units (and underlying securities) would be identical to the Private Placement Units (and underlying securities). Other than as set forth above, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such Working Capital Loans. As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any borrowings under any Working Capital Loans. Prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We have until the end of Combination Period (as may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our Amended and Restated Articles to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial Business Combination) or until such earlier time as our Board of Directors may approve, to consummate our initial Business Combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial Business Combination by January 28, 2028, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our Amended and Restated Articles to extend our Combination Period. There are no limitations on the number of times we may seek shareholder approval for an extension or the length of time of any such extension of the Combination Period. However, if we seek shareholder approval for an extension, our Public Shareholders will be offered an opportunity to redeem their Public Shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned thereon (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, subject to applicable law.
Any of the foregoing payments to our Sponsor, or an affiliate of our Sponsor, including repayments of loans from our Sponsor pursuant to the IPO Promissory Note or repayments of any Working Capital Loans prior to our initial Business Combination have been and will continue to be made using funds held outside the Trust Account.
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After our initial Business Combination, members of our Management Team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial Business Combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
The holders of (i) the Founder Shares, (ii) the Private Placement Units and (iii) any private placement-equivalent units issued in connection with the Working Capital Loans, if any (and in each case holders of their underlying securities, as applicable) are entitled to registration rights pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to our Class A Ordinary Shares). The holders of the majority 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 “piggyback” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. BTIG may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement. In addition, BTIG may participate in a “piggyback” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Our Sponsor, director and officers have entered into the Letter Agreement with us, pursuant to which, they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if they acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period. Additionally, pursuant to the Letter Agreement, our Sponsor, directors and officers will not propose any amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles to modify (i) the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period or (ii) any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares.
Director Independence
Nasdaq Rules require that a majority of our Board of Directors be independent within one year of our Initial Public Offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Our Board of Directors has determined that each of Jeffrey Lager, Michael Marquez and Jamie Vieser are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq Rules and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Withum for services rendered.
Audit Fees
Audit fees consist of the aggregate fees for professional services rendered for the (audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Withum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of Withum for professional services rendered for the (i) audit of our annual financial statements and (ii) review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025 totaled approximately $85,530, which includes billings subsequent to December 31, 2025. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees.
46
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist of the aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not pay Withum for any audit-related fees for the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
Tax Fees
Tax fees consist of the aggregate fees billed for professional services relating to tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. We did not pay Withum for tax services, planning or advice for the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
All Other Fees
All other fees consist of the aggregate fees billed for all other services. We did not pay Withum for any other services for the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
Pre-Approval Policy
Our Audit Committee was formed upon the consummation of our Initial Public Offering. As a result, the Audit Committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our Audit Committee were approved by our Board of Directors. Since the formation of our Audit Committee, and on a going-forward basis, the Audit Committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services performed and to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit).
47
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules.
| (a) | The following documents are filed as part of this Report: |
| (1) | Financial Statements |
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto beginning on page F-1 of this Report.
(3) Exhibits
We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits that are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
Omitted at our Company’s option.
48
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholder of
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2025, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity, and cash flows for the period from October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2025, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period October 16, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the entity’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these 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 Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II. 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. Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II 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 entity’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2025.
March 20, 2026
PCAOB ID Number
F-2
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
BALANCE SHEET
DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Assets: | ||||
| Current assets | ||||
| Prepaid expenses | $ | |||
| Total current assets | ||||
| Deferred offering costs | ||||
| Total Assets | $ | |||
| Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit | ||||
| Liabilities: | ||||
| Current liabilities | ||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | |||
| Advances from related party | ||||
| IPO Promissory Note | ||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 7) | ||||
| Shareholder’s Deficit | ||||
| Preference shares, $ | ||||
| Class A Ordinary Shares, $ | ||||
| Class B Ordinary Shares, $ | ||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Shareholder’s Deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit | $ | |||
| (1) |
| (2) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-3
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 16, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Formation, general, and administrative costs | $ | |||
| Loss from operations | ( | ) | ||
| Net loss | $ | ( | ) | |
| Weighted average shares outstanding, Class B Ordinary Shares (1)(2) | ||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class B Ordinary Shares | $ | ( | ) | |
| (1) |
| (2) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-4
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
FOR THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 16, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in | Accumulated | Total Shareholder’s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Deficit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance — October 16, 2025 (inception) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Class B Ordinary Shares to Sponsor (1)(2) | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2025 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1) | Includes an aggregate of up to |
| (2) | On January 28, 2026, the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option in the amount of |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-5
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 16, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||
| Net loss | $ | ( | ) | |
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||
| Payment of formation, general, and administrative costs through IPO Promissory Note | ||||
| Payment of general and administrative costs through advances from related party | ||||
| Formation costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B Ordinary Shares | ||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ||||
| Net Change in Cash | ||||
| Cash – Beginning of period | ||||
| Cash – End of period | $ | |||
| Noncash investing and financing activities: | ||||
| Deferred offering costs paid through IPO Promissory Note | $ | |||
| Deferred offering costs paid through advances from related party | $ | |||
| Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B Ordinary Shares | $ | |||
| Prepaid expenses paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B Ordinary Shares | $ | |||
| Prepaid expenses paid by Sponsor through IPO Promissory Note | $ | |||
| Repayment of advances from related party through IPO Promissory Note – related party | $ | |||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-6
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from
The Company’s sponsor is Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC (the “Sponsor”).
The Registration Statement on Form S-1 for the Initial Public Offering, initially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 26, 2025 (File No. 333-291923), was declared effective on January 26, 2026 (as amended, the “IPO Registration Statement”). On January 28, 2026, the Company consummated the initial public offering of
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of
Transaction costs amounted to $
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination (less the Deferred Fee).
F-7
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The Company’s management (“Management”) has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination (less the Deferred Fee). The Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering, on January 28, 2026, an amount of $
The Company will provide the Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, subject to the limitations. As of January 28, 2026, the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the amount in the Trust Account was $
The Public Shares (as defined in Note 2) subject to possible redemption are recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering on January 28, 2026, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (“ASC 480”).
The Company has only the duration of the Combination Period to complete the initial Business Combination. However, if the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes income payable, if any, and less up to $
F-8
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The Sponsor, and the Company’s officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, dated January 29, 2026 (the “Letter Agreement”), pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5), Private Placement Shares and Public Shares in connection with (x) the completion of the initial Business Combination or an earlier redemption in connection with the commencement of the procedures to consummate the initial Business Combination if the Company determines it is desirable to facilitate the completion of the initial Business Combination; and (y) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles to (1) modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem
The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements is presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s liquidity needs up to December 31, 2025 had been satisfied through advances from related party and the loan under the IPO Promissory Note (as defined in Note 6) from the Sponsor of up to $
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern,” the Company has completed its Initial Public Offering and the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option as part of the closing of the Initial Public Offering on January 28, 2026, at which time the capital in excess of the funds deposited in Trust Account and/or used to fund offering costs and other expenses was released to the Company for general capital purposes. The Company does not believe it will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating its business. However, if the estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, the Company may have insufficient funds available to operate its business prior to the initial Business Combination. Management has determined that upon the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the partial exercise by the Underwriters of their Over-Allotment Option, and the Private Placement, the Company has sufficient funds to finance the working capital needs of the Company within one year from the date of issuance of the accompanying financial statements. As of January 28, 2026, the Company had cash of $
F-9
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the accompanying financial statements with another public company that is neither an (i) emerging growth company nor (ii) emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the accompanying financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires Management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the accompanying financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Making estimates requires Management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the accompanying financial statements, which Management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had cash or cash equivalents as of December 31, 2025.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $
F-10
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of FASB ASC Topic 340-10-S99, “Other Assets and Deferred Costs”, and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A “Expenses of Offering.” Offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees that are related to the Initial Public Offering. FASB ASC Topic 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options,” addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applied this guidance to allocate Initial Public Offering proceeds from the Public Units between Public Shares and Public Warrants, using the residual method by allocating Initial Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the Public Warrants and then to the Public Shares. On January 28, 2026, upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, offering costs allocated to the Public Shares subject to possible redemption were charged to temporary equity. Offering costs allocated to the Public Warrants and Private Placement Units were charged to shareholder’s deficit, as the Public and Private Placement Warrants, after Management’s evaluation, are accounted for under equity treatment.
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” (“ASC 815”). For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the accompanying balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net cash settlement or conversion of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the accompanying balance sheet date. The Over-Allotment Option is deemed to be a freestanding financial instrument indexed on the Ordinary Shares subject to redemption and will be accounted for as a liability pursuant to ASC 480 since it was not fully exercised at the time of the Initial Public Offering. On January 28, 2026, the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option in the amount of
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of December 31, 2025, there were unrecognized tax benefits and amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
The Company is considered to be an exempted Cayman Islands company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was
Warrant Instruments
The Company accounted for the Warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company evaluated and classified the warrant instruments under equity treatment at their assigned values. There were Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants currently issued or outstanding as of December 31, 2025.
Net Loss per Class B Ordinary Share
Net loss per Class B ordinary share, par value $
F-11
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Recent Accounting Standards
In November 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) Topic 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). The amendments in ASU 2023-07 require disclosures, on an annual and interim basis, of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), as well as the aggregate amount of other segment items included in the reported measure of segment profit or loss. ASU 2023-07 requires that a public entity disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. Public entities will be required to provide all annual disclosures currently required by FASB ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting” (“ASC 280”) in interim periods, and entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide all the disclosures required by the amendments in ASU 2023-07 and existing segment disclosures in ASC 280. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 on October 16, 2025, the date of its incorporation.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU Topic 2023-09, “Income taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosure” (“ASU 2023-09”), which enhances the transparency and usefulness of income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company adopted ASU 2023- 09 on October 16, 2025, the date of its incorporation. Adoption of the ASU 2023-09 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
On February 2, 2026, the Company sold
Note 4 — Private Placement
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of
The Private Placement Units and the Working Capital Units (as defined in Note 7) are identical to the Public Units except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor, BTIG or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Units and Working Capital Units (i) may not (including the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until
Note 5 — Segment Information
ASC 280 establishes standards for companies to report, in their financial statements, information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities from which it may recognize revenues and incur expenses, and for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s CODM, or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.
F-12
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The CODM assesses performance for the single segment and decides how to allocate resources based on net income or loss that also is reported on the accompanying statement of operations as net income or loss. The measure of segment assets is reported on the accompanying balance sheet as total assets.
| December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Deferred offering costs | $ | |||
| For the Period from October 16, 2025 (Inception) through December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Formation, general, and administrative costs | $ | |||
General and administrative expenses are reviewed and monitored by the CODM to manage and forecast cash to ensure enough capital is available to complete the Initial Public Offering and eventually a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The CODM also reviews general and administrative expenses to manage, maintain and enforce all contractual agreements to ensure costs are aligned with all agreements and budget. General and administrative costs, as reported on accompanying the statement of operations, are the significant segment expenses provided to the CODM on a regular basis.
The CODM reviews the position of total assets as reported in the accompanying balance sheet available with the Company to assess if the Company has sufficient resources available to discharge its liabilities. The CODM is provided with details of cash and liquid resources available with the Company. Additionally, the CODM regularly reviews the status of deferred costs incurred to assess if these are in line with the planned use of proceeds raised from the Initial Public Offering.
Note 6 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On October 23, 2025, the Company issued an aggregate of
Up to
The Founder Shares are identical to the Public Shares included in the Public Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Founder Shares automatically convert into Class A Ordinary Shares at the time of the initial Business Combination (with such conversion taking place concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the initial Business Combination, as may be determined by the directors of the Company) or earlier at the option of the holder and are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below. The total issued and outstanding Founder Shares represent approximately
F-13
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The Sponsor is not entitled to redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and any Public Shares held by the Sponsor in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination. If the initial Business Combination is not completed within the Combination Period, the Sponsor will not be entitled to rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares held by it.
Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares and any Class A Ordinary Shares issued upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of (i) six months after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (ii) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors with respect to any Founder Shares (the “Lock-up”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) the closing price of the Class A Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $
Promissory Note — Related Party
On October 23, 2025, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
Advances from Related Party
As of December 31, 2025, a related party had paid for expenses on behalf of the Company totaling $
Service Agreement
The Company agreed, commencing on the closing of the Initial Public Offering, to pay the (i) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and (ii) Chief Financial Officer and a Director a total of $
Working Capital Loans
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with its initial Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes its initial Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. In the event that the initial Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. If the Sponsor makes any Working Capital Loans, up to $
F-14
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 7 — Commitments and Contingencies
Risks and Uncertainties
The Company’s ability to complete an initial Business Combination may be adversely affected by various factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s ability to consummate an initial Business Combination could be impacted by, among other things, changes in laws or regulations, downturns in the financial markets or in economic conditions, inflation, fluctuations in interest rates, increases in tariffs, supply chain disruptions, declines in consumer confidence and spending, public health considerations, and geopolitical instability, such as the military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Company cannot at this time predict the likelihood of one or more of the above events, their duration or magnitude or the extent to which they may negatively impact the Company’s ability to complete an initial Business Combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) Founder Shares, (ii) Private Placement Units (and their underlying securities) and (iii) Working Capital Units (and their underlying securities), if any, (iv) any Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of the Founder Shares and (iv) any Class A Ordinary Shares held at the completion of the Initial Public Offering by the holders of the Founder Shares prior to the Initial Public Offering, have registration rights to require the Company to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them and any other securities of the Company acquired by them prior to the consummation of or acquired prior to or in connection with the initial Business Combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement, dated January 29, 2026, by and between the Company and certain security holders. These holders are entitled to make up to three demands excluding short form demands and have piggyback registration rights. BTIG may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on January 26, 2026. In addition, BTIG may participate in a piggyback registration only during the seven-year period beginning on January 26, 2026. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company granted the Underwriters a
The Underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $
Note 8 — Shareholder’s Deficit
Preference Shares
The Company is authorized to issue
F-15
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Class A Ordinary Shares
The Company is authorized to issue a total of
Class B Ordinary Shares
The Company is authorized to issue a total of
The Founder Shares will automatically convert into Class A Ordinary Shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. In the case that additional Class A Ordinary Shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of a Business Combination, the ratio at which the Class B Ordinary Shares will convert into Class A Ordinary Shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B Ordinary Shares agree to waive such anti- dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B Ordinary Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis,
Except as set forth herein, holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares are entitled to one vote for each Ordinary Share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Unless specified in the Amended and Restated Articles or as required by the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands or stock exchange rules, an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and the Amended and Restated Articles, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the Company is generally required to approve any matter voted on by the Company’s shareholders. Approval of certain actions requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as specified below) requires the affirmative vote of a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given, and pursuant to the Amended and Restated Articles, such actions include amending the Amended and Restated Articles and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. There is cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning, following the initial Business Combination, the holders of more than 50% of the Ordinary Shares voted for the appointment of directors can elect all of the directors. Prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, only holders of the Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote on (i) the appointment and removal of directors and (ii) continuing the Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Holders of the Class A Ordinary Shares are not entitled to vote on these matters during such time. These provisions of the Amended and Restated Articles may only be amended if approved by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of a majority of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of the initial Business Combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given.
F-16
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Warrants
As of December 31, 2025, there were Warrants outstanding. Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering on January 28, 2026, each whole Warrant issued entitles the holder to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at a price of $
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current. No Warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue a Class A Ordinary Share upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Class A Ordinary Share issuable upon such Warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the Warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant will not be entitled to exercise such Warrant and such Warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any Warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised Warrants, the purchaser of a Unit containing such Warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the Unit solely for the Class A Ordinary Share underlying such Unit.
Under the terms of the warrant agreement, dated January 29, 2026, by and between the Company and Continental (the “Warrant Agreement”), the Company has agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than
If the holders exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis, they would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the Public Warrants for that number of Class A Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of the Class A Ordinary Shares over the exercise price of the Public Warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported closing price of the Class A Ordinary Shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of Public Warrants, as applicable.
Redemption of Warrants When the Price per Class A Ordinary Share Equals or Exceeds $
The Company may redeem the outstanding Warrants:
| ● | in whole and not in part; |
| ● | at a price of $ |
| ● | upon a minimum of |
| ● | if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Class A Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $ |
F-17
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Additionally, if the number of outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A Ordinary Shares, or by a subdivision of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, subdivision or similar event, the number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Ordinary Shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of Ordinary Shares entitling holders to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A Ordinary Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A Ordinary Shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A Ordinary Shares) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per Class A Ordinary Share paid in such rights offering and (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A Ordinary Shares, in determining the price payable for Class A Ordinary Shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (
In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A Ordinary Shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of an initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $
Note 9 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the accompanying balance sheet date, up to March 20, 2026, the date the accompanying financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, other than as described below, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustments or disclosure in the accompanying financial statements.
On January 28, 2026, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of an aggregate of
F-18
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on January 28, 2026, an amount of $
On January 28, 2026, the Company had borrowed $
On January 28, 2026, a related party paid for expenses on behalf of the Company totaling $
The Company agreed, commencing on the closing of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the liquidation, to pay the (i) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and (ii) Chief Financial Officer and Director a total of $
On January 28, 2026, the Underwriters partially exercised their Over-Allotment Option in the amount of
Commencing on March 19, 2026, the holders of the Public Shares and Public Warrants may elect to separately trade the Public Shares and the Public Warrants. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Public Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. Any Public Units not separated will continue to trade on the Global Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “MLAAU.” The Public Shares and the Public Warrants will trade on the Global Market tier of Nasdaq under the symbols “MLAA” and “MLAAW,” respectively.
F-19
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
* |
Filed herewith. |
| ** | Furnished herewith. |
| (1) | Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-291833), filed with the SEC on November 26, 2025. |
| (2) | Incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-291833), filed with the SEC on January 21, 2026. |
| (3) | Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 30, 2026. |
49
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| March 20, 2026 | Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II | |
| By: |
/s/ Paul Grinberg | |
| Name: | Paul Grinberg | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Position | Date | ||
|
/s/ Paul Grinberg |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | March 20, 2026 | ||
| Paul Grinberg | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
|
/s/ Douglas Horlick |
Chief Financial Officer and Director | March 20, 2026 | ||
| Douglas Horlick | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
|
/s/ Jeffrey Lager |
Director | March 20, 2026 | ||
| Jeffrey T. Lager | ||||
|
/s/ Michael Marquez |
Director | March 20, 2026 | ||
| Michael Marquez | ||||
|
/s/ Jamie Vieser |
Director | March 20, 2026 | ||
| Jamie W. Vieser | ||||
50
Exhibit 3
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
(Adopted by special resolution passed on 26 January 2026)
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 |  |
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association
of
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II
(Adopted by special resolution passed on 26 January 2026)
| 1 | The name of the Company is Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II. |
| 2 | The registered office of the Company shall be at the offices of Ogier Global (Cayman) Limited, 89 Nexus Way, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-9009, Cayman Islands, or at such other place within the Cayman Islands as the Directors may decide. |
| 3 | The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the laws of the Cayman Islands. |
| 4 | The liability of each Member is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on such Member’s shares. |
| 5 | The share capital of the Company is US$55,500 divided into 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 5,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, provided always that, subject to the Statute and the Company’s articles of association, the Company has the power to do any one or more of the following: |
| (a) | to redeem or repurchase any of its shares; and |
| (b) | to increase or reduce its capital; and |
| (c) | to issue any part of its capital (whether original, redeemed, increased or reduced): |
| (i) | with or without any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges or conditions; or |
| (ii) | subject to any limitations or restrictions, |
and unless the condition of issue expressly declares otherwise, every issue of shares (whether declared to be ordinary, preference or otherwise) is subject to this power; or
| (d) | to alter any of those rights, privileges, conditions, limitations or restrictions. |
| 6 | The Company has power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands. |
| 7 | Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association bear the respective meanings given to them in the Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | |
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
(Adopted by special resolution passed on 26 January 2026)
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | |
CONTENTS
| 1 | Interpretation | 1 |
| 2 | Commencement of Business | 8 |
| 3 | Issue of Shares and other Securities | 8 |
| 4 | Register of Members | 9 |
| 5 | Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date | 9 |
| 6 | Certificates for Shares | 9 |
| 7 | Transfer of Shares | 10 |
| 8 | Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares | 11 |
| 9 | Treasury Shares | 11 |
| 10 | Variation of Rights of Shares | 12 |
| 11 | Commission on Sale of Shares | 12 |
| 12 | Non-Recognition of Trusts | 13 |
| 13 | Lien on Shares | 13 |
| 14 | Calls on Shares | 13 |
| 15 | Forfeiture of Shares | 14 |
| 16 | Transmission of Shares | 15 |
| 17 | Class B Share Conversion | 16 |
| 18 | Amendments of Memorandum and Articles and Alteration of Capital | 17 |
| 19 | Offices and Places of Business | 18 |
| 20 | General Meetings | 18 |
| 21 | Notice of General Meetings | 19 |
| 22 | Advance Notice for Business | 19 |
| 23 | Proceedings at General Meetings | 20 |
| 24 | Votes of Members | 22 |
| 25 | Proxies | 23 |
| 26 | Corporate Members | 23 |
| 27 | Shares that may not be Voted | 24 |
| 28 | Directors | 24 |
| 29 | Powers of Directors | 24 |
| 30 | Appointment and Removal of Directors | 25 |
| 31 | Vacation of Office of Director | 25 |
| 32 | Proceedings of Directors | 26 |
| 33 | Presumption of Assent | 27 |
| 34 | Directors’ Interests | 27 |
| 35 | Minutes | 28 |
| 36 | Delegation of Directors’ Powers | 28 |
| 37 | No Minimum Shareholding | 30 |
| 38 | Remuneration of Directors | 30 |
| 39 | Seal | 30 |
| 40 | Dividends, Distributions and Reserve | 30 |
| 41 | Capitalisation | 32 |
| 42 | Books of Account | 32 |
| 43 | Audit | 33 |
| 44 | Notices | 34 |
| 45 | Winding Up | 35 |
| 46 | Indemnity and Insurance | 36 |
| 47 | Financial Year | 37 |
| 48 | Transfer by Way of Continuation | 37 |
| 49 | Mergers and Consolidations | 37 |
| 50 | Business Combination | 37 |
| 51 | Certain Tax Filings | 40 |
| 52 | Business Opportunities | 40 |
| 53 | Exclusive Jurisdiction | 41 |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| i |
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
Amended and Restated Articles of Association
of
Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II
(Adopted by special resolution passed on 26 January 2026)
| 1 | Interpretation |
| 1.1 | In the Articles Table A in the First Schedule to the Statute does not apply and, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith: |
| Affiliate | in respect of a person, means any other person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such person, and (a) in the case of a natural person, shall include, without limitation, such person’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mother-in-law and father-in-law and brothers and sisters-in-law, whether by blood, marriage or adoption or anyone residing in such person’s home, a trust for the benefit of any of the foregoing, a company, partnership or any natural person or entity wholly or jointly owned by any of the foregoing and (b) in the case of an entity, shall include a partnership, a corporation or any natural person or entity which directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such entity. | |
| Applicable Law | means, with respect to any person, all provisions of laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, permits, certificates, judgments, decisions, decrees or orders of any governmental authority applicable to such person. |
| Articles | means these amended and restated articles of association of the Company. | |
| Audit Committee | means the audit committee of the board of Directors of the Company established pursuant to the Articles, or any successor committee. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 1 |
| Auditor | means the person for the time being performing the duties of auditor of the Company (if any). | |
| Business Combination | means a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination involving the Company, with one or more businesses (the target business), which Business Combination: (a) as long as the securities of the Company are listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least eighty per cent (80%) of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and income taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account); and (b) must not be solely effectuated with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations. | |
| business day | means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorised or obligated by law to close in New York City. |
| Cause | means a conviction for a criminal offence involving dishonesty or engaging in conduct which brings a Director or the Company into disrepute or which results in a material financial detriment to the Company. | |
| Clearing House | means a clearing house recognised by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on a stock exchange or interdealer quotation system in such jurisdiction. | |
| Class A Share | means a Class A ordinary share of a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company. | |
| Class B Share | means a Class B ordinary share of a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company. | |
| Company | means the above named company. | |
| Company’s Website | means the website of the Company and/or its web-address or domain name, if any. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 2 |
| Compensation Committee | means the compensation committee of the board of Directors of the Company established pursuant to the Articles, or any successor committee. | |
| Completion Window | means the period of time: |
| (a) | commencing on, and including, the closing date of the IPO; and |
| (b) | ending on the date that is twenty four (24) months after the closing date of the IPO, such earlier date as the Directors may approve in accordance with the Articles or such later date as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles. |
| Designated Stock Exchange | means any United States national securities exchange on which the securities of the Company are listed for trading, including, but not limited to, The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, the NYSE MKT LLC, the New York Stock Exchange LLC or any over-the-counter (OTC) market. |
| Directors | means the directors for the time being of the Company. | |
| Dividend | means any dividend (whether interim or final) resolved to be paid on Shares pursuant to the Articles. | |
| Electronic Communication | means a communication sent by electronic means, including electronic posting to the Company’s Website, transmission to any number, address or internet website (including the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission) or other electronic delivery methods as otherwise decided and approved by the Directors. | |
| Electronic Record | has the same meaning as in the Electronic Transactions Act. | |
| Electronic Transactions Act | means the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands. | |
| Equity-linked Securities | means any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with a Business Combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 3 |
| Exchange Act | means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar U.S. federal statute and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time. |
| Founders | means all Members immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO. | |
| Independent Director | has the same meaning as in the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange or in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, as the case may be. |
| IPO | means the Company’s initial public offering of securities. | |
| Member | has the same meaning as in the Statute. |
| Memorandum | means the amended and restated memorandum of association of the Company. | |
| Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | means any nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of Directors of the Company established pursuant to the Articles, or any successor committee. |
| Officer | means a person appointed to hold an office in the Company. | |
| Ordinary Resolution | means a resolution: |
| (a) | passed by a simple majority of such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Member is entitled; or |
| (b) | approved in writing by all of the Members entitled to vote on such matter at a general meeting of the Company (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Statute from time to time). |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 4 |
| Ordinary Shares | means Class A Shares and Class B Shares, collectively. | |
| Over-Allotment Option | means the option of the Underwriters to purchase up to an additional fifteen per cent (15%) of the firm units (as described in the Articles) issued in the IPO at a price equal to US$10 per unit, less underwriting discounts and commissions. | |
| Preference Share | means a preference share of a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company. | |
| Public Share | means a Class A Share issued as part of the units (as described in the Articles) issued in the IPO. | |
| Redemption Notice | means a notice in a form approved by the Directors by which a holder of Public Shares is entitled to require the Company to redeem its Public Shares, subject to any conditions contained therein. | |
| Register of Members | means the Register of Members maintained in accordance with the Statute and includes (except where otherwise stated) any branch or duplicate Register of Members. | |
| Registered Office | means the registered office for the time being of the Company. | |
| Representative | means a representative of the Underwriters. | |
| Seal | means the common seal of the Company and includes every duplicate seal. | |
| Securities and Exchange Commission | means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| Share | means a Class A Share, a Class B Share or a Preference Share and includes a fraction of a share in the Company. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 5 |
| Special Resolution | means a special resolution of the Company passed in accordance with the Statute, being a resolution: |
| (a) | passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds (or such other threshold as may be specified under the Statute from time to time), other than with respect to amending either of Articles 30.1 or 48.2 (except where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of a Business Combination) where such majority shall be at least ninety per cent (90%), of such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Member is entitled; or |
| (b) | approved in writing by all of the Members entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Statute from time to time). |
| Sponsor | means Mountain Lake Acquisition Sponsor II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and its successors or assigns. |
| Statute | means the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands. | |
| Tax Filing Authorised Person | means such person as any Director shall designate from time to time, acting severally. | |
| Treasury Share | means a Share held in the name of the Company as a treasury share in accordance with the Statute. | |
| Trust Account | means the trust account established by the Company upon the consummation of its IPO and into which a certain amount of the net proceeds of the IPO, together with a certain amount of the proceeds of a private placement of units simultaneously with the closing date of the IPO, will be deposited. |
| Underwriter | means an underwriter of the IPO from time to time and any successor underwriter. |
| www.verify.gov.ky File#: 427012 | | |
| 6 |
| 1.2 | In the Articles: |
| (a) | words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; |
| (b) | words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender; |
| (c) | words importing persons include corporations as well as any other legal or natural person; |
| (d) | “written” and “in writing” include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an Electronic Record; |
| (e) | “shall” shall be construed as imperative and “may” shall be construed as permissive; |
| (f) | references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced; |
| (g) | any phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms; |
| (h) | the term “and/or” is used herein to mean both “and” as well as “or.” The use of “and/or” in certain contexts in no respects qualifies or modifies the use of the terms “and” or “or” in others. The term “or” shall not be interpreted to be exclusive and the term “and” shall not be interpreted to require the conjunctive (in each case, unless the context otherwise requires); |
| (i) | headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing the Articles; |
| (j) | any requirements as to delivery under the Articles include delivery in the form of an Electronic Record; |
| (k) | any requirements as to execution or signature under the Articles including the execution of the Articles themselves can be satisfied in the form of an electronic signature as defined in the Electronic Transactions Act; |
| (l) | sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Act shall not apply; |
| (m) | the term “clear days” in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is received or deemed to be received and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect; and |
| (n) | the term “holder” in relation to a Share means a person whose name is entered in the Register of Members as the holder of such Share. |
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| 2 | Commencement of Business |
| 2.1 | The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation of the Company as the Directors shall see fit. |
| 2.2 | The Directors may pay, out of the capital or any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment of the Company, including the expenses of registration. |
| 3 | Issue of Shares and other Securities |
| 3.1 | Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum (and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting) and, where applicable, the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) with or without preferred, deferred or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to Dividends or other distributions, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper, and may also (subject to the Statute and the Articles) vary such rights, save that the Directors shall not allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) to the extent that it may affect the ability of the Company to carry out a Class B Share Conversion set out in the Articles. |
| 3.2 | The Company may issue rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company on such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine. |
| 3.3 | The Company may issue units of securities in the Company, which may be comprised of whole or fractional Shares, rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company, upon such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine. The securities comprising any such units which are issued pursuant to the IPO can only be traded separately from one another on the 52nd day following the date of the prospectus relating to the IPO unless the Representative(s) determines that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to the Company having filed a current report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Prior to such date, the units can be traded, but the securities comprising such units cannot be traded separately from one another. |
| 3.4 | The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer. |
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| 4 | Register of Members |
| 4.1 | The Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained the Register of Members in accordance with the Statute. |
| 4.2 | The Directors may determine that the Company shall maintain one or more branch registers of Members in accordance with the Statute. The Directors may also determine which register of Members shall constitute the principal register and which shall constitute the branch register or registers, and to vary such determination from time to time. |
| 5 | Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date |
| 5.1 | For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose, the Directors may, after notice has been given by advertisement in an appointed newspaper or any other newspaper or by any other means in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not in any case exceed forty days. |
| 5.2 | In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance or arrears a date as the record date for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of the Members or any adjournment thereof, or for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose. |
| 5.3 | If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a Dividend or other distribution, the date on which notice of the meeting is sent or the date on which the resolution of the Directors resolving to pay such Dividend or other distribution is passed, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof. |
| 6 | Certificates for Shares |
| 6.1 | A Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall be signed by one or more Directors or other person authorised by the Directors. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and, subject to the Articles, no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled. |
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| 6.2 | The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. |
| 6.3 | If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating evidence, as the Directors may prescribe, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery of the old certificate. |
| 6.4 | Every share certificate sent in accordance with the Articles will be sent at the risk of the Member or other person entitled to the certificate. The Company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery. |
| 6.5 | Share certificates shall be issued within the relevant time limit as prescribed by the Statute, if applicable, or as the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law may from time to time determine, whichever is shorter, after the allotment or, except in the case of a Share transfer which the Company is for the time being entitled to refuse to register and does not register, after lodgement of a Share transfer with the Company. |
| 7 | Transfer of Shares |
| 7.1 | Subject to the terms of the Articles, any Member may transfer all or any of his Shares by an instrument of transfer provided that such transfer complies with the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law. If the Shares in question were issued in conjunction with rights, options, warrants or units issued pursuant to the Articles on terms that one cannot be transferred without the other, the Directors shall refuse to register the transfer of any such Share without evidence satisfactory to them of the like transfer of such right, option, warrant or unit. |
| 7.2 | The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing in the usual or common form or in a form prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law or in any other form approved by the Directors and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by or on behalf of the transferee) and may be under hand or, if the transferor or transferee is a Clearing House or its nominee(s), by hand or by machine imprinted signature or by such other manner of execution as the Directors may approve from time to time. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members. |
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| 8 | Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares |
| 8.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, and, where applicable, the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, the Company may issue Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Member or the Company. The redemption of such Shares, except Public Shares, shall be effected in such manner and upon such other terms as the Company may, by Special Resolution, determine before the issue of such Shares. With respect to redeeming or repurchasing the Shares: |
| (a) | Members who hold Public Shares are entitled to request the redemption of such Shares in the circumstances described in the Business Combination Article hereof; |
| (b) | Class B Shares held by the Founders shall be surrendered by the Founders on a pro rata basis for no consideration to the extent that the Over-Allotment Option is not exercised in full so that the Founders will own twenty-five per cent (25%) of the Company’s issued Shares after the IPO (exclusive of any Class A Shares underlying the units purchased by the Sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the IPO); and |
| (c) | Public Shares shall be repurchased by way of tender offer in the circumstances set out in the Business Combination Article hereof. |
| 8.2 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, and, where applicable, the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, the Company may purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) in such manner and on such other terms as the Directors may agree with the relevant Member or in the manner set out in the Business Combination Article hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, redemptions, repurchases and surrenders of Shares in the circumstances described in the Article above shall not require further approval of the Members. |
| 8.3 | The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Statute, including out of capital. |
| 8.4 | The Directors may accept the surrender for no consideration of any fully paid Share. |
| 9 | Treasury Shares |
| 9.1 | The Directors may, prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of any Share, determine that such Share shall be held as a Treasury Share. |
| 9.2 | The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including, without limitation, for nil consideration). |
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| 10 | Variation of Rights of Shares |
| 10.1 | Subject to Article 3.1, if at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied without the consent of the holders of the issued Shares of that class where such variation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, any such variation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued Shares of that class (other than with respect to a waiver of the provisions of the Class B Share Conversion Article hereof, which as stated therein shall only require the consent in writing of the holders of a majority of the issued Shares of that class), or with the approval of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes cast at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant class. To any such meeting all the provisions of the Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis, except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the issued Shares of the class and that any holder of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll. |
| 10.2 | For the purposes of a separate class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the classes of Shares as forming one class of Shares if the Directors consider that such class of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate classes of Shares. |
| 10.3 | The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied: (i) by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith or Shares issued with preferred or other rights; or (ii) where the constitutional documents of the Company are amended or new constitutional documents of the Company are adopted, in each case, as a result of the Company undertaking a transfer by way of continuation to a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. |
| 11 | Commission on Sale of Shares |
The Company may, in so far as the Statute permits, pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.
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| 12 | Non-Recognition of Trusts |
The Company shall not be bound by or compelled to recognise in any way (even when notified) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by the Articles or the Statute) any other rights in respect of any Share other than an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the holder.
| 13 | Lien on Shares |
| 13.1 | The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien thereon. The Company’s lien on a Share shall also extend to any amount payable in respect of that Share. |
| 13.2 | The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen clear days after notice has been received or deemed to have been received by the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold. |
| 13.3 | To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or his nominee shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Company’s power of sale under the Articles. |
| 13.4 | The net proceeds of such sale after payment of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and any balance shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale. |
| 14 | Calls on Shares |
| 14.1 | Subject to the terms of the allotment and issue of any Shares, the Directors may make calls upon the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares (whether in respect of par value or premium), and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen clear days’ notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the Shares. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the Directors may determine. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made. |
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| 14.2 | A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed. |
| 14.3 | The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof. |
| 14.4 | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid at such rate as the Directors may determine (and in addition all expenses that have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment), but the Directors may waive payment of the interest or expenses wholly or in part. |
| 14.5 | An amount payable in respect of a Share on issue or allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the par value of the Share or premium or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid all the provisions of the Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call. |
| 14.6 | The Directors may issue Shares with different terms as to the amount and times of payment of calls, or the interest to be paid. |
| 14.7 | The Directors may, if they think fit, receive an amount from any Member willing to advance all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him, and may (until the amount would otherwise become payable) pay interest at such rate as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such amount in advance. |
| 14.8 | No such amount paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Member paying such amount to any portion of a Dividend or other distribution payable in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such amount would, but for such payment, become payable. |
| 15 | Forfeiture of Shares |
| 15.1 | If a call or instalment of a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than fourteen clear days’ notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The notice shall specify where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. |
| 15.2 | If the notice is not complied with, any Share in respect of which it was given may, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors. Such forfeiture shall include all Dividends, other distributions or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture. |
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| 15.3 | A forfeited Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited Share is to be transferred to any person the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share in favour of that person. |
| 15.4 | A person any of whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of them and shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate for the Shares forfeited and shall remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with interest at such rate as the Directors may determine, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies due and payable by him in respect of those Shares. |
| 15.5 | A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or Officer that a Share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share. The certificate shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer) constitute a good title to the Share and the person to whom the Share is sold or otherwise disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share. |
| 15.6 | The provisions of the Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the par value of the Share or by way of premium as if it had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
| 16 | Transmission of Shares |
| 16.1 | If a Member dies, the survivor or survivors (where he was a joint holder), or his legal personal representatives (where he was a sole holder), shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his Shares. The estate of a deceased Member is not thereby released from any liability in respect of any Share, for which he was a joint or sole holder. |
| 16.2 | Any person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may be required by the Directors, elect, by a notice in writing sent by him to the Company, either to become the holder of such Share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the holder of such Share. If he elects to have another person registered as the holder of such Share he shall sign an instrument of transfer of that Share to that person. The Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution, as the case may be. |
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| 16.3 | A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same Dividends, other distributions and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of such Share. However, he shall not, before becoming a Member in respect of a Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings of the Company and the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to have some person nominated by him be registered as the holder of the Share (but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution or any other case than by transfer, as the case may be). If the notice is not complied with within ninety days of being received or deemed to be received (as determined pursuant to the Articles), the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all Dividends, other distributions, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with. |
| 17 | Class B Share Conversion |
| 17.1 | The rights attaching to the Class A Shares and Class B Shares shall rank pari passu in all respects, and the Class A Shares and Class B Shares shall vote together as a single class on all matters (subject to the Variation of Rights of Shares Article, the Appointment and Removal of Directors Article and the Transfer by Way of Continuation Article) with the exception that the holder of a Class B Share shall have the conversion rights referred to in this Article. |
| 17.2 | Class B Shares may be converted into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis prior to the consummation of a Business Combination at the option of the holder. |
| 17.3 | Any Class B Shares not converted into Class A Shares pursuant to Article 17.2 above shall automatically convert into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis (the Initial Conversion Ratio) concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of a Business Combination. |
| 17.4 | Notwithstanding the Initial Conversion Ratio, in the case that additional Class A Shares or any other Equity-linked Securities, are issued, or deemed issued, in excess of the amounts issued in the IPO (including pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option) and related to or in connection with the closing of a Business Combination, all Class B Shares in issue shall automatically convert into Class A Shares at the time of the closing of a Business Combination, the ratio for which the Class B Shares shall convert into Class A Shares will be adjusted so that the number of Class A Shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B Shares will equal, in the aggregate, twenty-five per cent (25%) of the sum of: |
| (a) | the total number of all Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the IPO (including any Class A Shares issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option and excluding any Class A Shares underlying the private placement units issued to the Sponsor); plus |
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| (b) | all Class A Shares and Equity-linked Securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the closing of a Business Combination, excluding any Shares or Equity-linked Securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent units issued to the Sponsor or an Affiliate of the Sponsor or to the Company’s officers and Directors upon the conversion of working capital loans made to the Company; minus |
| (c) | the number of Public Shares redeemed in connection with a Business Combination. |
| 17.5 | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the foregoing adjustment to the Initial Conversion Ratio may be waived as to any particular issuance or deemed issuance of additional Class A Shares or Equity-linked Securities by the written consent or agreement of holders of a majority of the Class B Shares then in issue consenting or agreeing separately as a separate class in the manner provided in the Variation of Rights of Shares Article hereof. |
| 17.6 | The foregoing conversion ratio shall also be adjusted to account for any subdivision (by share split, subdivision, exchange, capitalisation, rights issue, reclassification, recapitalisation or otherwise) or combination (by reverse share split, share consolidation, exchange, reclassification, recapitalisation or otherwise) or similar reclassification or recapitalisation of the Class A Shares in issue into a greater or lesser number of Shares occurring after the original filing of the Articles without a proportionate and corresponding subdivision, combination or similar reclassification or recapitalisation of the Class B Shares in issue. |
| 17.7 | Each Class B Share shall convert into its pro-rata number of Class A Shares pursuant to this Article. The pro-rata share for each holder of Class B Shares will be determined as follows: each Class B Share shall convert into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to the product of one (1) multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Class A Shares into which all of the Class B Shares in issue shall be converted pursuant to this Article and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Class B Shares in issue at the time of conversion. |
| 17.8 | References in this Article to “converted”, “conversion” or “exchange” shall mean the compulsory redemption without notice of Class B Shares of any Member and, on behalf of such Members, automatic application of such redemption proceeds in paying for such new Class A Shares into which the Class B Shares have been converted or exchanged at a price per Class B Share necessary to give effect to a conversion or exchange calculated on the basis that the Class A Shares to be issued as part of the conversion or exchange will be issued at par. The Class A Shares to be issued on an exchange or conversion shall be registered in the name of such Member or in such name as the Member may direct. |
| 17.9 | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, in no event shall any Class B Share convert into Class A Shares at a ratio that is less than one for one. |
| 18 | Amendments of Memorandum and Articles and Alteration of Capital |
| 18.1 | The Company may by Ordinary Resolution: |
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| (a) | increase its share capital by such sum as the Ordinary Resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine; |
| (b) | consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares; |
| (c) | convert all or any of its paid-up Shares into stock, and reconvert that stock into paid- up Shares of any denomination; |
| (d) | by subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into Shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into Shares without par value; and |
| (e) | cancel any Shares that at the date of the passing of the Ordinary Resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled. |
| 18.2 | All new Shares created in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article shall be subject to the same provisions of the Articles with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the Shares in the original share capital. |
| 18.3 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the provisions of the Articles as regards the matters to be dealt with by Ordinary Resolution and Article 48.2, the Company may by Special Resolution: |
| (a) | change its name; |
| (b) | alter or add to the Articles (subject to Article 48.2); |
| (c) | alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein; and |
| (d) | reduce its share capital or any capital redemption reserve fund. |
| 19 | Offices and Places of Business |
Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its Registered Office. The Company may, in addition to its Registered Office, maintain such other offices or places of business as the Directors determine.
| 20 | General Meetings |
| 20.1 | All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings. |
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| 20.2 | The Company may, but shall not (unless required by the Statute) be obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented. |
| 20.3 | The Directors, the chief executive officer or the chairman of the board of Directors may call general meetings and, for the avoidance of doubt, except as expressly provided in Article 20.4 below, Members shall not have the ability to call general meetings. |
| 20.4 | If at any time there are no Directors, any two (2) Members (or if there is only one (1) Member then that Member) entitled to vote at general meetings of the Company may convene a general meeting in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings may be convened by the Directors. |
| 21 | Notice of General Meetings |
| 21.1 | At least five (5) clear days’ notice shall be given of any general meeting. Every notice shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be conducted at the general meeting and shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this Article has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed: |
| (a) | in the case of an annual general meeting, by all of the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat; and |
| (b) | in the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, together holding not less than ninety-five per cent (95%) in par value of the Shares giving that right. |
| 21.2 | The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a general meeting by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that general meeting. |
| 22 | Advance Notice for Business |
| 22.1 | Members seeking to bring business before an annual general meeting of the Company, or to nominate candidates for appointment as Directors at an annual general meeting, must provide written notice of such business to the Company. Such notice must be received by the Company by the Company’s secretary (or, if none is appointed, any other Officer) at its principal office no later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual general meeting. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in the annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. |
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| 22.2 | To be in proper written form, a Member’s notice to the Company’s secretary (or, if none is appointed, any other Officer) with respect to any business (other than nominations) must set forth as to each such matter such Member proposes to bring before the annual general meeting (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual general meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event such business includes a proposal to amend these Articles, the language of the proposed amendment) and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual general meeting, (ii) the name and record address of such Member and the name and address of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (iii) the class and number of Shares that are owned beneficially and of record by such Member and by the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such Member and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such Member, (v) any material interest of such Member and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made in such business and (vi) a representation that such Member intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual general meeting to bring such business before the annual general meeting. |
| 23 | Proceedings at General Meetings |
| 23.1 | No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. The holders of at least one-third of the Shares being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy shall be a quorum. |
| 23.2 | A person may participate at a general meeting by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation by a person in a general meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. |
| 23.3 | A resolution (including a Special Resolution) in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by or on behalf of all of the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or, being corporations or other non-natural persons, signed by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the resolution had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held. |
| 23.4 | If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence or if during such a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and/or place or to such other day, time and/or place as the Directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall be a quorum. |
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| 23.5 | The Directors may, at any time prior to the time appointed for the meeting to commence, appoint any person to act as chairman of a general meeting of the Company or, if the Directors do not make any such appointment, the chairman, if any, of the board of Directors shall preside as chairman at such general meeting. If there is no such chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. The chairman from time to time may adopt certain rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings as he or she sees fit. |
| 23.6 | If no Director is willing to act as chairman or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
| 23.7 | The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. |
| 23.8 | When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any such notice of an adjourned meeting. |
| 23.9 | If, prior to a Business Combination, a notice is issued in respect of a general meeting and the Directors, in their absolute discretion, consider that it is impractical or undesirable for any reason to hold that general meeting at the place, the day and the hour specified in the notice calling such general meeting, the Directors may postpone the general meeting to another place, day and/or hour provided that notice of the place, the day and the hour of the rearranged general meeting is promptly given to all Members. No business shall be transacted at any postponed meeting other than the business specified in the notice of the original meeting. |
| 23.10 | When a general meeting is postponed for thirty days or more, notice of the postponed meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any such notice of a postponed meeting. All proxy forms submitted for the original general meeting shall remain valid for the postponed meeting. The Directors may postpone a general meeting which has already been postponed. |
| 23.11 | A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll. |
| 23.12 | A poll shall be taken as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded. |
| 23.13 | A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such date, time and place as the chairman of the general meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may proceed pending the taking of the poll. |
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| 23.14 | In the case of an equality of votes the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
| 24 | Votes of Members |
| 24.1 | Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any Shares, including as set out at Articles 30.1 and 48, every Member present in any such manner shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder. |
| 24.2 | In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy), shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register of Members. |
| 24.3 | A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person on such Member’s behalf appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person may vote by proxy. |
| 24.4 | No person shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a Member on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or other monies then payable by him in respect of Shares have been paid. |
| 24.5 | No objection shall be raised as to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at the meeting shall be valid. Any objection made in due time in accordance with this Article shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive. |
| 24.6 | Votes may be cast either personally or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non- natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy). A Member may appoint more than one proxy or the same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting. Where a Member appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which each proxy is entitled to exercise the related votes. |
| 24.7 | A Member holding more than one Share need not cast the votes in respect of his Shares in the same way on any resolution and therefore may vote a Share or some or all such Shares either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares and, subject to the terms of the instrument appointing him, a proxy appointed under one or more instruments may vote a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed. |
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| 25 | Proxies |
| 25.1 | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing and shall be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation or other non natural person, under the hand of its duly authorised representative. A proxy need not be a Member. |
| 25.2 | The Directors may, in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, specify the manner by which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited and the place and the time (being not later than the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting to which the proxy relates) at which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited. In the absence of any such direction from the Directors in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited physically at the Registered Office on a business day not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for the meeting or adjourned meeting to commence at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote. For the purposes of this Article, business day means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorised or obligated by law to close in the location of the Registered Office. |
| 25.3 | The chairman may in any event at his discretion declare that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted, or which has not been declared to have been duly deposited by the chairman, shall be invalid. |
| 25.4 | The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form (or such other form as the Directors may approve) and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll. |
| 25.5 | Votes given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company at the Registered Office on a business day before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy. For the purposes of this Article, business day means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorised or obligated by law to close in the location of the Registered Office. |
| 26 | Corporate Members |
| 26.1 | Any corporation or other non-natural person which is a Member may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member. |
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| 26.2 | If a Clearing House (or its nominee(s)), being a corporation, is a Member, it may authorise such persons as it sees fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or at any meeting of any class of Members provided that the authorisation shall specify the number and class of Shares in respect of which each such representative is so authorised. Each person so authorised under the provisions of this Article shall be deemed to have been duly authorised without further evidence of the facts and be entitled to exercise the same rights and powers on behalf of the Clearing House (or its nominee(s)) as if such person was the registered holder of such Shares held by the Clearing House (or its nominee(s)). |
| 27 | Shares that may not be Voted |
Shares in the Company that are beneficially owned by the Company shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding Shares at any given time.
| 28 | Directors |
There shall be a board of Directors consisting of not less than one person provided however that, subject to the requirement to have at least one Director, the Directors may from time to time fix the maximum and minimum number of Directors to be appointed by resolution of the board of Directors.
| 29 | Powers of Directors |
| 29.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all the powers of the Company. No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors. |
| 29.2 | All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall determine by resolution. |
| 29.3 | The Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance. |
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| 29.4 | The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
| 30 | Appointment and Removal of Directors |
| 30.1 | Subject to Article 28, prior to or in connection with the closing of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares remove any Director. For the avoidance of doubt, prior to the closing of a Business Combination, holders of Class A Shares shall have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of any Director. |
| 30.2 | Subject to Article 28, the Directors may appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director. |
| 30.3 | Subject to Article 28, after the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director. |
| 30.4 | The Directors shall be divided into three (3) classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. Directors shall be assigned to each class in accordance with a resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of Directors. At the first annual general meeting of the Company, the term of office of the Class I Directors shall expire and Class I Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the second annual general meeting of the Company, the term of office of the Class II Directors shall expire and Class II Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the third annual general meeting of the Company, the term of office of the Class III Directors shall expire and Class III Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At each succeeding annual general meeting of the Company, Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years to succeed the Directors of the class whose terms expire at such annual general meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, each Director shall hold office until the expiration of his term, until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of Directors constituting the board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. |
| 31 | Vacation of Office of Director |
| 31.1 | The office of a Director shall be vacated if: |
| (a) | the Director gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director; or |
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| (b) | the Director absents himself (for the avoidance of doubt, without being represented by proxy) from three consecutive meetings of the board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and the Directors pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office; or |
| (c) | the Director dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or |
| (d) | the Director is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; or |
| (e) | all of the other Directors (being not less than two in number) determine that he should be removed as a Director for Cause (and not otherwise), either by a resolution passed by all of the other Directors at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held in accordance with the Articles or by a resolution in writing signed by all of the other Directors. |
| 32 | Proceedings of Directors |
| 32.1 | The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed shall be two if there are two or more Directors, and shall be one if there is only one Director. |
| 32.2 | Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. |
| 32.3 | A person may participate in a meeting of the Directors or any committee of Directors by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by a person in a meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the Directors, the meeting shall be deemed to be held at the place where the chairman is located at the start of the meeting. |
| 32.4 | A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of the Directors or, in the case of a resolution in writing relating to the removal of any Director or the vacation of office by any Director, all of the Directors other than the Director who is the subject of such resolution shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors, or committee of Directors as the case may be, duly convened and held. |
| 32.5 | A Director may, or other Officer on the direction of a Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors by at least two (2) days’ notice in writing to every Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors either at, before or after the meeting is held. To any such notice of a meeting of the Directors all the provisions of the Articles relating to the giving of notices by the Company to the Members shall apply mutatis mutandis. |
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| 32.6 | The continuing Directors (or a sole continuing Director, as the case may be) may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to the Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to be equal to such fixed number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose. |
| 32.7 | The Directors may elect a chairman of their board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
| 32.8 | All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director, and/or that they or any of them were disqualified, and/or had vacated their office and/or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and/or not disqualified to be a Director and/or had not vacated their office and/or had been entitled to vote, as the case may be. |
| 32.9 | A Director may be represented at any meetings of the board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing by him. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director. |
| 33 | Presumption of Assent |
A Director who is present at a meeting of the board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the chairman or secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action.
| 34 | Directors’ Interests |
| 34.1 | A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may determine. |
| 34.2 | A Director may act by himself or by, through or on behalf of his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director. |
| 34.3 | A Director may be or become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a shareholder, a contracting party or otherwise, and no such Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such other company. |
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| 34.4 | No person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by or arising in connection with any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director holding office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established. A Director shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is interested provided that the nature of the interest of any Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon. |
| 34.5 | A general notice that a Director is a shareholder, director, officer or employee of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be sufficient disclosure for the purposes of voting on a resolution in respect of a contract or transaction in which he has an interest, and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction. |
| 35 | Minutes |
The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of recording all appointments of Officers made by the Directors, all proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors, and of committees of the Directors, including the names of the Directors present at each meeting.
| 36 | Delegation of Directors’ Powers |
| 36.1 | The Directors may delegate any of their powers, authorities and discretions, including the power to sub-delegate, to any committee consisting of one or more Directors (including, without limitation and as applicable, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, if established). Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such delegation may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee of Directors shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying. |
| 36.2 | The Directors may establish any committees, local boards or agencies or appoint any person to be a manager or agent for managing the affairs of the Company and may appoint any person to be a member of such committees, local boards or agencies. Any such appointment may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such appointment may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of any such committee, local board or agency shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying. |
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| 36.3 | The Directors may adopt formal written charters for committees and, if so adopted, shall review and assess the adequacy of such formal written charters on an annual basis. Each of these committees shall be empowered to do all things necessary to exercise the rights of such committee set forth in the Articles and shall have such powers as the Directors may delegate pursuant to the Articles and as required by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law. Each of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, if established, shall consist of such number of Directors as the Directors shall from time to time determine (or such minimum number as may be required from time to time by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law). For so long as any class of Shares is listed on the Designated Stock Exchange, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, if established, shall be made up of such number of Independent Directors as is required from time to time by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law. |
| 36.4 | The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Directors may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked by the Directors at any time. |
| 36.5 | The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under the Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him. |
| 36.6 | The Directors may appoint such Officers as they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of his appointment an Officer may be removed by resolution of the Directors or Members. An Officer may vacate his office at any time if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns his office. |
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| 37 | No Minimum Shareholding |
The Company in general meeting may fix a minimum shareholding required to be held by a Director, but unless and until such a shareholding qualification is fixed a Director is not required to hold Shares.
| 38 | Remuneration of Directors |
| 38.1 | The remuneration to be paid to the Directors, if any, shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine. The Directors shall also, whether prior to or after the consummation of a Business Combination, be entitled to be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or separate meetings of the holders of any class of Shares or debentures of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company or the discharge of their duties as a Director, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other. |
| 38.2 | The Directors may by resolution approve additional remuneration to any Director for any services which in the opinion of the Directors go beyond his ordinary routine work as a Director. Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel, attorney or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director. |
| 39 | Seal |
| 39.1 | The Company may, if the Directors so determine, have a Seal. The Seal shall only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors. Every instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by at least one person who shall be either a Director or some Officer or other person appointed by the Directors for the purpose. |
| 39.2 | The Company may have for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile of the common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used. |
| 39.3 | A Director or Officer, representative or attorney of the Company may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever. |
| 40 | Dividends, Distributions and Reserve |
| 40.1 | Subject to the Statute and this Article and except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, the Directors may resolve to pay Dividends and other distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the Dividends or other distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. A Dividend shall be deemed to be an interim Dividend unless the terms of the resolution pursuant to which the Directors resolve to pay such Dividend specifically state that such Dividend shall be a final Dividend. No Dividend or other distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits of the Company, out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by law. |
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| 40.2 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, all Dividends and other distributions shall be paid according to the par value of the Shares that a Member holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for Dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for Dividend accordingly. |
| 40.3 | The Directors may deduct from any Dividend or other distribution payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) then payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise. |
| 40.4 | The Directors may resolve that any Dividend or other distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular (but without limitation) by the distribution of shares, debentures, or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees in such manner as may seem expedient to the Directors. |
| 40.5 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, Dividends and other distributions may be paid in any currency. The Directors may determine the basis of conversion for any currency conversions that may be required and how any costs involved are to be met. |
| 40.6 | The Directors may, before resolving to pay any Dividend or other distribution, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the discretion of the Directors, be employed in the business of the Company. |
| 40.7 | Any Dividend, other distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any Dividends, other distributions, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders. |
| 40.8 | No Dividend or other distribution shall bear interest against the Company. |
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| 40.9 | Any Dividend or other distribution which cannot be paid to a Member and/or which remains unclaimed after six months from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Company’s name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that account and the Dividend or other distribution shall remain as a debt due to the Member. Any Dividend or other distribution which remains unclaimed after a period of six years from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. |
| 41 | Capitalisation |
The Directors may at any time capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts or funds (including the share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution; appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst such Members had the same been a distribution of profits by way of Dividend or other distribution; and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid- up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power given to the Directors to make such provisions as they think fit in the case of Shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). The Directors may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members interested into an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental or relating thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members and the Company.
| 42 | Books of Account |
| 42.1 | The Directors shall cause proper books of account (including, where applicable, material underlying documentation including contracts and invoices) to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company. Such books of account must be retained for a minimum period of five years from the date on which they are prepared. Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions. |
| 42.2 | The Directors shall determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting. |
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| 42.3 | The Directors may cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law. |
| 43 | Audit |
| 43.1 | The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office on such terms as the Directors determine. |
| 43.2 | Without prejudice to the freedom of the Directors to establish any other committee, if the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, and if required by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law, the Directors shall establish and maintain an Audit Committee as a committee of the Directors and shall adopt a formal written Audit Committee charter and review and assess the adequacy of the formal written charter on an annual basis. The composition and responsibilities of the Audit Committee shall comply with the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law. The Audit Committee shall meet at least once every financial quarter, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. |
| 43.3 | If the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company shall conduct an appropriate review of all related party transactions on an ongoing basis and shall utilise the Audit Committee for the review and approval of potential conflicts of interest. |
| 43.4 | The remuneration of the Auditor shall be fixed by the Audit Committee (if one exists). |
| 43.5 | If the office of Auditor becomes vacant by resignation or death of the Auditor, or by his becoming incapable of acting by reason of illness or other disability at a time when his services are required, the Directors shall fill the vacancy and determine the remuneration of such Auditor. |
| 43.6 | Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and Officers such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor. |
| 43.7 | Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next extraordinary general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members. |
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| 43.8 | Any payment made to members of the Audit Committee (if one exists) shall require the review and approval of the Directors, with any Director interested in such payment abstaining from such review and approval. |
| 43.9 | The Audit Committee shall monitor compliance with the terms of the IPO and, if any non- compliance is identified, the Audit Committee shall be charged with the responsibility to take all action necessary to rectify such non-compliance or otherwise cause compliance with the terms of the IPO. |
| 43.10 | At least one (1) member of the Audit Committee shall be an “audit committee financial expert” as determined by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or otherwise under Applicable Law. The “audit committee financial expert” shall have such 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. |
| 44 | Notices |
| 44.1 | Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Company to any Member either personally or by sending it by courier, post, cable, telex, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Members (or where the notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Member). Notice may also be served by Electronic Communication in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or any other competent regulatory authority or by placing it on the Company’s Website. |
| 44.2 | Where a notice is sent by: |
| (a) | courier; service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by delivery of the notice to a courier company, and shall be deemed to have been received on the third day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was delivered to the courier; |
| (b) | post; service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to have been received on the fifth day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays in the Cayman Islands) following the day on which the notice was posted; |
| (c) | cable, telex or fax; service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted; |
| (d) | e-mail or other Electronic Communication; service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the receipt of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient; and |
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| (e) | placing it on the Company’s Website; service of the notice shall be deemed to have been effected one hour after the notice or document was placed on the Company’s Website. |
| 44.3 | A notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member in the same manner as other notices which are required to be given under the Articles and shall be addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred. |
| 44.4 | Notice of every general meeting shall be given in any manner authorised by the Articles to every holder of Shares carrying an entitlement to receive such notice on the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the Register of Members and every person upon whom the ownership of a Share devolves by reason of his being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Member where the Member but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting, and no other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings. |
| 45 | Winding Up |
| 45.1 | If the Company shall be wound up, the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in satisfaction of creditors’ claims in such manner and order as such liquidator thinks fit. Subject to the rights attaching to any Shares, in a winding up: |
| (a) | if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the Company’s issued share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them; or |
| (b) | if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the Company’s issued share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise. |
| 45.2 | If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, subject to the rights attaching to any Shares and with the approval of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other approval required by the Statute, divide amongst the Members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether such assets shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like approval, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like approval, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability. |
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| 46 | Indemnity and Insurance |
| 46.1 | Every Director and Officer (which for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include auditors of the Company), together with every former Director and former Officer (each an Indemnified Person) shall to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability, action, proceeding, claim, demand, costs, damages or expenses, including legal expenses, whatsoever which they or any of them may incur as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out their functions other than such liability (if any) that they may incur by reason of their own actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default. No Indemnified Person shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage incurred by the Company as a result (whether direct or indirect) of the carrying out of their functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default of such Indemnified Person. No person shall be found to have committed actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default under this Article unless or until a court of competent jurisdiction shall have made a finding to that effect. |
| 46.2 | Each Member specifically agrees to waive any claim or right of action such Member might have, whether individually or by, or in, the right of the Company, against any Director or Officer in connection with new or competing merger bids or proposals which are proffered to the Board at any time after the execution of a definitive agreement concerning a Business Combination provided that such waiver shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty in relation to the Company which may attach to such Director or Officer. |
| 46.3 | The Company shall advance to each Indemnified Person reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred in connection with the defence of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnified Person for which indemnity will or could be sought. In connection with any advance of any expenses hereunder, the Indemnified Person shall execute an undertaking to repay the advanced amount to the Company if it shall be determined by final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article. If it shall be determined by a final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses, then such party shall not be indemnified with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses and any advancement shall be returned to the Company (without interest) by the Indemnified Person. |
| 46.4 | The Directors, on behalf of the Company, may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or other Officer against any liability which, by virtue of any rule of law, would otherwise attach to such person in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which such person may be guilty in relation to the Company. |
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| 47 | Financial Year |
Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year.
| 48 | Transfer by Way of Continuation |
| 48.1 | If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special Resolution passed in accordance with this Article 48, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands. |
| 48.2 | Prior to the closing of a Business Combination, only the Class B Shares shall carry the right to vote on any resolution of the shareholders to approve any transfer by way of continuation pursuant to this Article (including any Special Resolution required to amend the constitutional documents of the Company or to adopt new constitutional documents of the Company, in each case, as a result of the Company approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). |
| 49 | Mergers and Consolidations |
The Company shall have the power to merge or consolidate with one or more other constituent companies (as defined in the Statute) upon such terms as the Directors may determine and (to the extent required by the Statute) with the approval of a Special Resolution.
| 50 | Business Combination |
| 50.1 | Notwithstanding any other provision of the Articles, this Article shall apply during the period commencing upon the adoption of the Articles and terminating upon the first to occur of the consummation of a Business Combination and the full distribution of the Trust Account pursuant to this Article. In the event of a conflict between this Article and any other Articles, the provisions of this Article shall prevail. |
| 50.2 | Prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company shall either: |
| (a) | submit such Business Combination to its Members for approval; or |
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| (b) | provide Members with the opportunity to have their Shares repurchased by means of a tender offer for a per-Share repurchase price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of such Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less income taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares. |
| 50.3 | If the Company initiates any tender offer in accordance with Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act in connection with a proposed Business Combination, it shall file tender offer documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to completing such Business Combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about such Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act. If, alternatively, the Company holds a general meeting to approve a proposed Business Combination, the Company will conduct any redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and file proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| 50.4 | At a general meeting called for the purposes of approving a Business Combination pursuant to this Article, in the event that such Business Combination is approved by Ordinary Resolution, the Company shall be authorised to consummate such Business Combination. |
| 50.5 | Any Member holding Public Shares who is not the Sponsor, a Founder, Officer or Director may, in connection with any vote on a proposed Business Combination, elect to have their Public Shares redeemed for cash in accordance with any applicable requirements provided for in the related proxy materials (the IPO Redemption), including, without limitation, such requirements with respect to the deadline for making such election (the Election Deadline), provided that (a) no such Member, together with any Affiliate of such Member or any other person with whom such Member is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act) may exercise this redemption right with respect to more than fifteen per cent (15%) of the Public Shares in the aggregate without the prior consent of the Company and (b) if the Company requires in its sole discretion, any holder that holds Public Shares beneficially through a nominee must identify itself to the Company in connection with any redemption election in order to validly redeem such Public Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Directors may, at any time and either before or after the initially scheduled vote on a Business Combination, in its sole discretion extend the Election Deadline to a later date and may extend an Election Deadline which has already been extended. If so demanded, the Company shall pay any such redeeming Member, regardless of whether he is abstaining from voting on or voting for or against such proposed Business Combination, a per-Share redemption price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, including interest earned on funds held in the Trust Account (less any income taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares (such redemption price being referred to herein as the Redemption Price), subject to Applicable Law, but only in the event that the applicable proposed Business Combination is approved and consummated. |
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| 50.6 | A Member may not withdraw a Redemption Notice once submitted to the Company unless the Directors determine (in their sole discretion) to permit the withdrawal of such redemption request (which they may do in whole or in part). |
| 50.7 | In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within the Completion Window, the Company shall: |
| (a) | cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; |
| (b) | as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds, redeem the Public Shares, at a per- Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of income taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares then issued and outstanding, which redemption will completely extinguish public Members’ rights as Members (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any) subject to applicable law; and |
| (c) | as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining Members and the Directors, liquidate and dissolve, |
subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of Applicable Law.
| 50.8 | In the event that any amendment is made to the Articles: |
| (a) | to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window; or |
| (b) | with respect to any other material provisions relating to (i) the rights of holders of Class A Shares; or (ii) pre-initial Business Combination activity, |
each holder of Public Shares who is not the Sponsor, a Founder, Officer or Director shall be provided with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon the approval of any such amendment at a per-Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account (less income taxes payable), divided by the number of Public Shares then issued and outstanding, subject to Applicable Law.
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| 50.9 | Except for any amounts released to the Company to pay income taxes, none of the funds in the Trust Account shall be released from the Trust Account until the earlier of: (i) an IPO Redemption pursuant to Article 50.5; (ii) a repurchase of Shares by means of a tender offer pursuant to Article 50.2(b); (iii) a distribution of the Trust Account pursuant to Article 50.7; or (iv) an amendment under Article 50.8 A holder of Public Shares shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account only in the event of (i) to (iv) under this Article 50.9. In no other circumstance shall a holder of Public Shares have any right or interest of any kind in the Trust Account. |
| 50.10 | Except in connection with the conversion of Class B Shares into Class A Shares pursuant to Article 17 where the holders of such Shares have waived any right to receive funds from the Trust Account, after the issue of Public Shares, and prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company shall not issue additional Shares or any other securities that would entitle the holders thereof to: |
| (a) | receive funds from the Trust Account; or |
| (b) | vote as a class with Public Shares on a Business Combination. |
| 50.11 | A Director may vote in respect of a Business Combination in which such Director has a conflict of interest with respect to the evaluation of such Business Combination. Such Director must disclose such interest or conflict to the other Directors. |
| 50.12 | The Company shall not enter into an initial Business Combination solely with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
| 50.13 | The Company may enter into a Business Combination with a target business that is an Affiliate of the Sponsor, an Officer or a Director. In the event the Company seeks to complete a Business Combination with a target business that is an Affiliate of the Sponsor, an Officer or a Director, the Company, or a committee of Independent Directors, shall obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by the Company in such a Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. |
| 51 | Certain Tax Filings |
Each Tax Filing Authorised Person and any such other person, acting alone, as any Director shall designate from time to time, are authorised to file tax forms SS-4, W-8 BEN, W-8 IMY, W-9, 8832 and 2553 and such other similar tax forms as are customary to file with any US state or federal governmental authorities or foreign governmental authorities in connection with the formation, activities and/or elections of the Company and such other tax forms as may be approved from time to time by any Director or Officer. The Company further ratifies and approves any such filing made by any Tax Filing Authorised Person or such other person prior to the date of the Articles.
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| 52 | Business Opportunities |
| 52.1 | To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no individual serving as a Director or an Officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Company. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for a Director or an Officer, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a Director or an Officer to any other entity. Except to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no Director or Officer shall have a duty to communicate or offer any such corporate opportunity to the Company and shall not be liable to the Company or its Members for breach of any fiduciary duty as a Member, Director and/or Officer solely by reason of the fact that such person pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, himself or herself, directs such corporate opportunity to another person, or does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Company. |
| 52.2 | Except as provided elsewhere in this Article, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law the Company hereby renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for both the Company and any Director or Officer, about which any such Director and/or Officer acquires knowledge. |
| 52.3 | To the extent a court might hold that the conduct of any activity related to a corporate opportunity that is renounced in this Article to be a breach of duty to the Company or its Members, the Company hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, any and all claims and causes of action that the Company may have for such activities. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the provisions of this Article apply equally to activities conducted in the future and that have been conducted in the past. |
| 52.4 | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, such renouncement shall not apply to any business opportunity that is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a Director or Officer of the Company and it is an opportunity the Company is able to complete on a reasonable basis. |
| 53 | Exclusive Jurisdiction |
| 53.1 | Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with the Memorandum, the Articles or otherwise related in any way to each Member’s shareholding in the Company, including but not limited to: |
| (a) | any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; |
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| (b) | any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any current or former Director, Officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Members; |
| (c) | any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Statute, the Memorandum or the Articles; or |
| (d) | any action asserting a claim against the Company governed by the “Internal Affairs Doctrine” (as such concept is recognised under the laws of the United States of America). |
| 53.2 | Each Member irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. |
| 53.3 | Without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that the Company may have, each Member acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly the Company shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum. |
| 53.4 | This Article 53 shall not apply to any action or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim. |
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Exhibit 4.5
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED
As of December 31, 2025, Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“we,” “our,” “us” or “Company”), had the following three classes of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): our (i) units sold in the initial public offering we consummated on January 28, 2026 (collectively, the “Units”), (ii) Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share (collectively, the “Class A Ordinary Shares”), which underlie the Units, and (iii) redeemable warrants (collectively, the “Warrants”), with each whole Warrant exercisable for one Class A Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, which underlie the Units.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as currently in effect (the “Amended and Restated Articles”), we are authorized to issue (i) 550,000,000 Ordinary Shares, including 500,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares and 50,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”, and together with the Class A Ordinary Shares, the “Ordinary Shares”), and (ii) 5,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value per share. The following description summarizes the material terms of our securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and does not purport to be complete. It is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the (x) Amended and Restated Articles and (y) Warrant Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, we entered into with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agreement”), each of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the “Report”) of which this Exhibit 4.5 is a part.
Defined terms used herein, but not otherwise defined, shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Report.
Units
Each Unit consists of one Class A Ordinary Share and one-half of one Warrant. Each whole Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at a price of $11.50 per share. Pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, a Warrant holder may exercise its Warrants only for a whole number of the Class A Ordinary Shares.
Class A Ordinary Shares
Holders of Ordinary Shares are entitled to one vote for each Ordinary Share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. However, only holders of Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to (i) appoint or remove directors in any election held prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination (meaning that holders of Class A Ordinary Shares not have the right to appoint any directors until after the completion of our initial Business Combination); and (ii) continue our Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including to vote on any Special Resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of our approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). The provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles governing these matters prior to our initial Business Combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of a majority of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial Business Combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of our shareholders. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination, holders of Class A Ordinary Shares and holders of Class B Ordinary Shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as required by law. Approval of certain actions will require a Special Resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as outlined above) requires the affirmative vote of a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of our shareholders of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a Special Resolution has been duly given, and pursuant to our Amended and Restated Articles; such actions include amending our Amended and Restated Articles (other than the provisions referred to above) and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning that the holders of more than 50% of the Ordinary Shares entitled to vote and who have voted for the appointment of directors, can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor.
We will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A Ordinary Shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial Business Combination, upon the completion of our initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes, if any), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. Our Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into the 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.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Amended and Restated Articles provide that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its Class A Ordinary Shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in the Initial Public Offering (the “Excess Shares”) without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their Class A Ordinary Shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial Business Combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial Business Combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial Business Combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such Class A Ordinary Shares would be required to sell their Class A Ordinary Shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our Company after a Business Combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the Ordinary Shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the Ordinary Shares, except that we will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A Ordinary Shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes, if any, payable and up to $100,000 of liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares, upon the completion of our initial Business Combination, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described in the Report.
Warrants
Each whole Warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of our initial Business Combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their Warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the Warrant Agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder.
The Warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
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We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No Warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue a Class A Ordinary Share upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Class A Ordinary Share issuable upon such Warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the Warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant will not be entitled to exercise such Warrant and such Warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any Warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised Warrants, the purchaser of a Unit containing such Warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the Unit solely for the Class A Ordinary Share comprising part of such Unit.
We registered the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants in the IPO Registration Statement because the Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial Business Combination, which may be within one year of the Initial Public Offering. However, because the Warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial Business Combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial Business Combination, under the terms of the Warrant Agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of our initial Business Combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the IPO Registration Statement or a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial Business Combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants until the expiration of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of the Warrant Agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (60) business day after the closing of our initial Business Combination, Warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A Ordinary Shares are at the time of any exercise of a Warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement.
Once the Warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding Warrants:
| ● | in whole and not in part; |
| ● | at a price of $0.01 per Warrant; upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption; |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a Warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing at least 30 days after completion of our initial Business Combination and ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the Warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the Warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A Ordinary Shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the Warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares upon exercise of the Warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such Ordinary Shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the Warrants were offered by us in the Initial Public Offering.
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A holder of a Warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the Warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the Class A Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
The Warrants have certain anti-dilution and adjustment rights upon certain events.
The Warrants were issued in registered form under the Warrant Agreement, which provides that the terms of the Warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the Warrant Agreement to the description of the terms of the Warrants and the Warrant Agreement set forth in the Report, (ii) adjusting the provisions relating to cash dividends on Ordinary Shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the Warrant Agreement, (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Warrant Agreement as the parties to the Warrant Agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the Warrants under the Warrant Agreement or (iv) to provide for the delivery of the Alternative Issuance (as defined in the Warrant Agreement). All other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding Public Warrants, except that amending our Warrant Agreement requires a vote of holders of at least 50% of the Private Placement Warrants (including the vote or written consent of the Underwriters) or Warrants issued upon conversion of any Working Capital Loans (the “Working Capital Warrants”) solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Placement Warrants or Working Capital Warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture of cancellation of any Warrants). Please review a copy of the Warrant Agreement, which has been filed as an exhibit to the Report, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the Warrants.
The Warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the Warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the Warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the Warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of Warrants being exercised. The Warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Ordinary Shares and any voting rights until they exercise their Warrants and receive Class A Ordinary Shares. After the issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares upon exercise of the Warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the Warrant Agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York located in the County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act, or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
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Exhibit 19
INSIDER TRADING COMPLIANCE MANUAL
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
Adopted: January 5, 2026
In order to take an active role in the prevention of insider trading violations by its officers, directors, employees, consultants, attorneys, advisors and other related individuals, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), has adopted the policies and procedures described in this Insider Trading Compliance Manual.
| I. | Adoption of Insider Trading Policy. |
Effective as of the date first written above, the Board has adopted the Insider Trading Policy attached hereto as Exhibit A (as the same may be amended from time to time by the Board, the “Policy”), which prohibits trading based on “material, nonpublic information” regarding the Company or any company whose securities are listed for trading or quotation in the United States (“Material Non-Public Information”).
This Policy covers all officers and directors of the Company and its subsidiaries, all other employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, and consultants or contractors to the Company or its subsidiaries who have or may have access to Material Non-Public Information and members of the immediate family or household of any such person. This Policy (and/or a summary thereof) is to be delivered to all employees, consultants and related individuals who are within the categories of covered persons upon the commencement of their relationships with the Company.
| II. | Designation of Certain Persons. |
A. Section 16 Individuals. All directors and executive officers of the Company will be subject to the reporting and liability provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 16 Individuals”).
B. Other Persons Subject to Policy. In addition, certain employees, consultants, and advisors of the Company as described in Section I above have, or are likely to have, from time to time access to Material Non-Public Information and together with the Section 16 Individuals, are subject to the Policy, including the pre-clearance requirement described in Section IV. A. below.
C. Post-Termination Transactions. This Policy continues to apply to transactions in Company securities even after an employee, officer or director has resigned or terminated employment. If the person who resigns or separates from the Company is in possession of Material Non-Public Information at that time, he or she may not trade in Company securities until that information has become public or is no longer material.
| III. | Appointment of Insider Trading Compliance Officer. |
By the adoption of this Policy, the Board has appointed the Company’s Chief Financial Officer as the Insider Trading Compliance Officer (the “Compliance Officer”).
| IV. | Duties of Compliance Officer. |
The Compliance Officer has been designated by the Board to handle any and all matters relating to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Program. Certain of those duties may require the advice of outside counsel with special expertise in securities issues and relevant law. The duties of the Compliance Officer shall include the following:
A. Pre-clearing all transactions involving the Company’s securities by the Section 16 Individuals and those individuals having regular access to Material Non-Public Information in order to determine compliance with the Policy, insider trading laws, Section 16 of the Exchange Act and Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Rule 144”). Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a Pre-Clearance Checklist to assist the Compliance Officer’s performance of this duty.
B. Assisting in the preparation and filing of Section 16 reports (Forms 3, 4 and 5) for all Section 16 Individuals, bearing in mind, however, that the preparation of such reports is undertaken by the Company as a courtesy only and that the Section 16 Individuals alone (and not the Company, its employees or advisors) shall be solely responsible for the content and filing of such reports and for any violations of Section 16 under the Exchange Act and related rules and regulations.
C. Serving as the designated recipient at the Company of copies of reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by Section 16 Individuals under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
D. Performing periodic reviews of available materials, which may include Forms 3, 4 and 5, Form 144, officers and directors’ questionnaires, and reports received from the Company’s stock administrator and transfer agent, to determine trading activity by officers, directors and others who have, or may have, access to Material Non-Public Information.
E. Circulating the Policy (and/or a summary thereof) to all covered employees, including Section 16 Individuals, on an annual basis, and providing the Policy and other appropriate materials to new officers, directors and others who have, or may have, access to Material Non-Public Information.
F. Assisting the Board in implementation of the Policy and all related Company policies.
G. Coordinating with Company internal or external legal counsel regarding all securities compliance matters.
H. Retaining copies of all appropriate securities reports, and maintaining records of his or her activities as Compliance Officer.
[Acknowledgement Appears on the Next Page]
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I hereby acknowledge that I have received a copy of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II’s Insider Trading Compliance Manual (the “Insider Trading Manual”). Further, I certify that I have reviewed the Insider Trading Manual, understand the policies and procedures contained therein and agree to be bound by and adhere to these policies and procedures.
| Dated: ___________________ | |
| Signature | |
| Name: |
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Exhibit A
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
and Guidelines with Respect to Certain Transactions in Company Securities
APPLICABILITY OF POLICY
This Policy applies to all transactions in the Company’s securities, including ordinary shares, options and warrants to purchase ordinary shares and any other securities the Company may issue from time to time, such as preferred shares, warrants and convertible notes, as well as to derivative securities relating to the Company’s shares, whether or not issued by the Company, such as exchange-traded options. It applies to all officers and directors of the Company, all other employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, and consultants or contractors to the Company or its subsidiaries who have or may have access to Material Nonpublic Information (as defined below) regarding the Company and members of the immediate family or household of any such person. This group of people is sometimes referred to in this Policy as “Insiders.” This Policy also applies to any person who receives Material Nonpublic Information from any Insider.
Any person who possesses Material Nonpublic Information regarding the Company is an Insider for so long as such information is not publicly known.
DEFINITION OF MATERIAL NONPUBLIC INFORMATION
It is not possible to define all categories of material information. However, the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts have ruled that information should be regarded as “material” if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor:
| (1) | would consider the information important in making an investment decision; and |
| (2) | would view the information as having significantly altered the “total mix” of available information about the Company. |
“Nonpublic” information is information that has not been previously disclosed to the general public and is otherwise not available to the general public.
While it may be difficult to determine whether particular information is material, there are various categories of information that are particularly sensitive and, as a general rule, should always be considered material. In addition, material information may be positive or negative. Examples of such information may include:
| ● | Financial results |
| ● | Information relating to the Company’s stock exchange listing or SEC regulatory issues |
| ● | Information regarding regulatory review of Company products |
| ● | Intellectual property and other proprietary/scientific information |
| ● | Projections of future earnings or losses |
| ● | Major contract awards, cancellations or write-offs |
| ● | Joint ventures/commercial partnerships with third parties |
| ● | Research milestones and related payments or royalties |
| ● | News of a pending or proposed merger or acquisition |
| ● | News of the disposition of material assets |
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| ● | Impending bankruptcy or financial liquidity problems |
| ● | Gain or loss of a substantial customer or supplier |
| ● | New product announcements of a significant nature |
| ● | Significant pricing changes |
| ● | Stock splits |
| ● | New equity or debt offerings |
| ● | Significant litigation exposure due to actual or threatened litigation |
| ● | Changes in senior management or the Board of Directors of the Company |
| ● | Capital investment plans |
| ● | Changes in dividend policy |
CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS
For purposes of this Policy:
1. Share Options Exercises. For purposes of this Policy, the Company considers that the exercise of share options under the Company’s share option plans (but not the sale of the underlying shares) to be exempt from this Policy. This Policy does apply, however, to any sale of shares as part of a broker-assisted “cashless” exercise of an option, or any market sale for the purpose of generating the cash needed to pay the exercise price of an option.
2. 401(k) Plan. This Policy does not apply to purchases of Company shares in the Company’s 401(k) plan resulting from periodic contributions of money to the plan pursuant to payroll deduction elections. This Policy does apply, however, to certain elections that may be made under the 401(k) plan, including (a) an election to increase or decrease the percentage of periodic contributions that will be allocated to the Company share fund, if any, (b) an election to make an intra-plan transfer of an existing account balance into or out of the Company share fund, (c) an election to borrow money against a 401(k) plan account if the loan will result in a liquidation of some or all of a participant’s Company share fund balance and (d) an election to pre-pay a plan loan if the pre-payment will result in allocation of loan proceeds to the Company share fund.
3. Employee Share Purchase Plan. This Policy does not apply to purchases of Company shares in the Company’s employee share purchase plan, if any, resulting from periodic contributions of money to the plan pursuant to the elections made at the time of enrollment in the plan. This Policy also does not apply to purchases of Company shares resulting from lump sum contributions to the plan, provided that the participant elected to participate by lump-sum payment at the beginning of the applicable enrollment period. This Policy does apply to a participant’s election to participate in or increase his or her participation in the plan, and to a participant’s sales of Company shares purchased pursuant to the plan.
4. Dividend Reinvestment Plan. This Policy does not apply to purchases of Company shares under the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan, if any, resulting from reinvestment of dividends paid on Company securities. This Policy does apply, however, to voluntary purchases of Company shares that result from additional contributions a participant chooses to make to the plan, and to a participant’s election to participate in the plan or increase his level of participation in the plan. This Policy also applies to his or her sale of any Company shares purchased pursuant to the plan.
5. General Exceptions. Any exceptions to this Policy other than as set forth above may only be made by advance written approval of each of: (i) the Company’s President or Chief Executive Officers, (ii) the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer and (iii) the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board. Any such exceptions shall be immediately reported to the remaining members of the Board.
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STATEMENT OF POLICY
General Policy
It is the policy of the Company to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of any nonpublic information acquired in the workplace and the misuse of Material Nonpublic Information in securities trading related to the Company or any other company.
Specific Policies
1. Trading on Material Nonpublic Information. With certain exceptions, no Insider shall engage in any transaction involving a purchase or sale of the Company’s or any other company’s securities, including any offer to purchase or offer to sell, during any period commencing with the date that he or she possesses Material Nonpublic Information concerning the Company, and ending at the close of business on the second Trading Day following the date of public disclosure of that information, or at such time as such nonpublic information is no longer material. However, see Section 2 under “Permitted Trading Period” below for a full discussion of trading pursuant to a pre-established plan or by delegation.
As used herein, the term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which national stock exchanges are open for trading.
2. Tipping. No Insider shall disclose (“tip”) Material Nonpublic Information to any other person (including family members) where such information may be used by such person to his or her profit by trading in the securities of companies to which such information relates, nor shall such Insider or related person make recommendations or express opinions on the basis of Material Nonpublic Information as to trading in the Company’s securities.
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Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) is an issuer disclosure rule implemented by the SEC that addresses selective disclosure of Material Nonpublic Information. The regulation provides that when the Company, or person acting on its behalf, discloses material nonpublic information to certain enumerated persons (in general, securities market professionals and holders of the Company’s securities who may well trade on the basis of the information), it must make public disclosure of that information. The timing of the required public disclosure depends on whether the selective disclosure was intentional or unintentional; for an intentional selective disclosure, the Company must make public disclosures simultaneously; for a non-intentional disclosure the Company must make public disclosure promptly. Under the regulation, the required public disclosure may be made by filing or furnishing a Form 8-K, or by another method or combination of methods that is reasonably designed to effect broad, non-exclusionary distribution of the information to the public.
It is the policy of the Company that all public communications of the Company (including, without limitation, communications with the press, other public statements, statements made via the Internet or social media outlets, or communications with any regulatory authority) be handled only through the Company’s President and/or Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”), an authorized designee of the CEO or the Company’s public or investor relations firm. Please refer all press, analyst or similar requests for information to the CEO and do not respond to any inquiries without prior authorization from the CEO. If the CEO is unavailable, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (or the authorized designee of such officer) will fill this role.
3. Confidentiality of Nonpublic Information. Nonpublic information relating to the Company is the property of the Company and the unauthorized disclosure of such information (including, without limitation, via email or by posting on Internet message boards, blogs or social media) is strictly forbidden.
4. Duty to Report Inappropriate and Irregular Conduct. All employees, and particularly managers and/or supervisors, have a responsibility for maintaining financial integrity within the company, consistent with generally accepted accounting principles and both federal and state securities laws. Any employee who becomes aware of any incidents involving financial or accounting manipulation or irregularities, whether by witnessing the incident or being told of it, must report it to their immediate supervisor and to any member of the Company’s Audit Committee. In certain instances, employees are allowed to participate in federal or state proceedings. For a more complete understanding of this issue, employees should consult their employee manual and/or seek the advice from their direct report or the Company’s principal executive officers (who may, in turn, seek input from the Company’s outside legal counsel).
POTENTIAL CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LIABILITY
AND/OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION
1. Liability for Insider Trading. Insiders may be subject to penalties of up to $5,000,000 for individuals (and $25,000,000 for a business entity) and up to twenty (20) years in prison for engaging in transactions in the Company’s securities at a time when they possess Material Nonpublic Information regarding the Company. In addition, the SEC has the authority to seek a civil monetary penalty of up to three times the amount of profit gained or loss avoided by illegal insider trading. “Profit gained” or “loss avoided” generally means the difference between the purchase or sale price of the Company’s shares and its value as measured by the trading price of the shares a reasonable period after public dissemination of the nonpublic information.
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2. Liability for Tipping. Insiders may also be liable for improper transactions by any person (commonly referred to as a “tippee”) to whom they have disclosed Material Nonpublic Information regarding the Company or to whom they have made recommendations or expressed opinions on the basis of such information as to trading in the Company’s securities. The SEC has imposed large penalties even when the disclosing person did not profit from the trading. The SEC, the stock exchanges and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. use sophisticated electronic surveillance techniques to monitor and uncover insider trading.
3. Possible Disciplinary Actions. Individuals subject to the Policy who violate this Policy shall also be subject to disciplinary action by the Company, which may include suspension, forfeiture of perquisites, ineligibility for future participation in the Company’s equity incentive plans and/or termination of employment.
PERMITTED TRADING PERIOD
| 1. | Black-Out Period and Trading Window. |
To ensure compliance with this Policy and applicable federal and state securities laws, the Company requires that all officers, directors, members of the immediate family or household of any such person and others who are subject to this Policy refrain from conducting any transactions involving the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities, other than during the period in any fiscal quarter commencing at the close of business on the second Trading Day following the date of public disclosure of the financial results for the prior fiscal quarter or year and ending on the twenty-fifth day of the third month of the fiscal quarter (the “Trading Window”). If such public disclosure occurs on a Trading Day before the markets close, then such date of disclosure shall be considered the first Trading Day following such public disclosure.
It is the Company’s policy that the period when the Trading Window is “closed” is a particularly sensitive periods of time for transactions in the Company’s securities from the perspective of compliance with applicable securities laws. This is because Insiders will, as any quarter progresses, are increasingly likely to possess Material Nonpublic Information about the expected financial results for the quarter. The purpose of the Trading Window is to avoid any unlawful or improper transactions or the appearance of any such transactions.
It should be noted that even during the Trading Window any person possessing Material Nonpublic Information concerning the Company shall not engage in any transactions in the Company’s (or any other companies, as applicable) securities until such information has been known publicly for at least two Trading Days. The Company has adopted the policy of delaying trading for “at least two Trading Days” because the securities laws require that the public be informed effectively of previously undisclosed material information before Insiders trade in the Company’s shares. Public disclosure may occur through a widely disseminated press release or through filings, such as Forms 10-Q and 8-K, with the SEC. Furthermore, in order for the public to be effectively informed, the public must be given time to evaluate the information disclosed by the Company. Although the amount of time necessary for the public to evaluate the information may vary depending on the complexity of the information, generally two Trading Days is a sufficient period of time.
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From time to time, the Company may also require that Insiders suspend trading because of developments known to the Company and not yet disclosed to the public. In such event, such persons may not engage in any transaction involving the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities during such period and may not disclose to others the fact of such suspension of trading.
Although the Company may from time to time require during a Trading Window that Insiders and others suspend trading because of developments known to the Company and not yet disclosed to the public, each person is individually responsible at all times for compliance with the prohibitions against insider trading. Trading in the Company’s securities during the Trading Window should not be considered a “safe harbor,” and all directors, officers and other persons should use good judgment at all times.
Notwithstanding these general rules, Insiders may trade outside of the Trading Window provided that such trades are made pursuant to a legally compliant, pre-established plan or by delegation established at a time that the Insider is not in possession of material nonpublic information. These alternatives are discussed in the next section.
| 2. | Trading According to a Pre-established Plan (10b5-1) or by Delegation. |
The SEC has adopted Rule 10b5-1 (which was amended in December 2022) under which insider trading liability can be avoided if Insiders follow very specific procedures. In general, such procedures involve trading according to pre-established instructions, plans or programs (a “10b5-1 Plan”) after a required “cooling off” period described below.
10b5-1 Plans must:
(a) Be documented by a contract, written plan, or formal instruction which provides that the trade take place in the future. For example, an Insider can contract to sell his or her shares on a specific date, or simply delegate such decisions to an investment manager, 401(k) plan administrator or similar third party. This documentation must be provided to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer;
(b) Include in its documentation the specific amount, price and timing of the trade, or the formula for determining the amount, price and timing. For example, the Insider can buy or sell shares in a specific amount and on a specific date each month, or according to a pre-established percentage (of the Insider’s salary, for example) each time that the share price falls or rises to pre-established levels. In the case where trading decisions have been delegated (i.e., to a third party broker or money manager), the specific amount, price and timing need not be provided;
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(c) Be implemented at a time when the Insider does not possess material non-public information. As a practical matter, this means that the Insider may set up 10b5-1 Plans, or delegate trading discretion, only during a “Trading Window” (discussed in Section 1, above), assuming the Insider is not in possession of material non-public information;
(d) Remain beyond the scope of the Insider’s influence after implementation. In general, the Insider must allow the 10b5-1 Plan to be executed without changes to the accompanying instructions, and the Insider cannot later execute a hedge transaction that modifies the effect of the 10b5-1 Plan. Insiders should be aware that the termination or modification of a 10b5-1 Plan after trades have been undertaken under such plan could negate the 10b5-1 affirmative defense afforded by such program for all such prior trades. As such, termination or modification of a 10b-5 Plan should only be undertaken in consultation with your legal counsel. If the Insider has delegated decision-making authority to a third party, the Insider cannot subsequently influence the third party in any way and such third party must not possess material non-public information at the time of any of the trades;
(e) Be subject to a “cooling off” period. Effective February 27, 2023, Rule 10b5-1 contains “cooling-off period” for directors and officers that prohibit such insiders from trading in a 10b5-1 Plan until the later of (i) 90 days following the plan’s adoption or modification or (ii) two business days following the Company’s disclosure (via a report filed with the SEC) of its financial results for the fiscal quarter in which the plan was adopted or modified; and
(f) Contain Insider certifications. Effective February 27, 2023, directors and officers are required to include a certification in their 10b5-1 Plans to certify that at the time the plan is adopted or modified: (i) they are not aware of Material Nonpublic Information about the Company or its securities and (ii) they are adopting the 10b5-1 Plan in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade the anti-fraud provisions of the Exchange Act.
Important: In addition, effective February 27, 2023: (i) Insiders are prohibited from having multiple overlapping 10b5-1 Plans or more than one plan in any given year, (ii) a modification relating to amount, price and timing of trades under a 10b5-1 Plan is deemed a plan termination which requires a new cooling off period, and (iii) whether a particular trade is undertaken pursuant to a 10b5-1 Plan will need to be disclosed (by checkoff box) on the applicable Forms 4 or 5 of the Insider.
Pre-Approval Required: Prior to implementing a 10b5-1 Plan, all officers and directors must receive the approval for such plan from (and provide the details of the plan to) the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer.
| 3. | Pre-Clearance of Trades. |
Even during a Trading Window, all Insiders, must comply with the Company’s “pre-clearance” process prior to trading in the Company’s securities, implementing a pre-established plan for trading, or delegating decision-making authority over the Insider’s trades. To do so, each Insider must contact the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer prior to initiating any of these actions. The Company may also find it necessary, from time to time, to require compliance with the pre-clearance process from others who may be in possession of Material Nonpublic Information.
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| 4. | Individual Responsibility. |
Every person subject to this Policy has the individual responsibility to comply with this Policy against insider trading, regardless of whether the Company has established a Trading Window applicable to that Insider or any other Insiders of the Company. Each individual, and not necessarily the Company, is responsible for his or her own actions and will be individually responsible for the consequences of their actions. Therefore, appropriate judgment, diligence and caution should be exercised in connection with any trade in the Company’s securities. An Insider may, from time to time, have to forego a proposed transaction in the Company’s securities even if he or she planned to make the transaction before learning of the Material Nonpublic Information and even though the Insider believes he or she may suffer an economic loss or forego anticipated profit by waiting.
APPLICABILITY OF POLICY TO INSIDE INFORMATION
REGARDING OTHER COMPANIES
This Policy and the guidelines described herein also apply to Material Nonpublic Information relating to other companies, including the Company’s customers, vendors or suppliers (“business partners”), when that information is obtained in the course of employment with, or other services performed on behalf of the Company. Civil and criminal penalties, as well as termination of employment, may result from trading on Material Nonpublic Information regarding the Company’s business partners. All Insiders should treat Material Nonpublic Information about the Company’s business partners with the same care as is required with respect to information relating directly to the Company.
PROHIBITION AGAINST BUYING AND SELLING
COMPANY ORDINARY SHARES WITHIN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD
Directors, Officers and 10% Shareholders
Purchases and sales (or sales and purchases) of Company ordinary shares occurring within any six-month period in which a mathematical profit is realized result in illegal “short-swing profits.” The prohibition against short-swing profits is found in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Section 16 was drafted as a rather arbitrary prohibition against profitable “insider trading” in a company’s securities within any six-month period regardless of the presence or absence of material nonpublic information that may affect the market price of those securities. Each executive officer, director and 10% shareholder of the Company is subject to the prohibition against short-swing profits under Section 16. Such persons are required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 reports reporting his or her initial ownership of the Company’s ordinary shares and any subsequent changes in such ownership. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires executive officers and directors who must report transactions on Form 4 to do so by the end of the second business day following the transaction date, and amendments to Form 4 adopted effective February 2023 require the reporting person to check on the form if the purchase or sale was undertaken pursuant to a 10b5-1 Plan. Profit realized, for the purposes of Section 16, is calculated generally to provide maximum recovery by the Company. The measure of damages is the profit computed from any purchase and sale or any sale and purchase within the short-swing (i.e., six-month) period, without regard to any setoffs for losses, any first-in or first-out rules, or the identity of the ordinary shares. This approach sometimes has been called the “lowest price in, highest price out” rule.
The rules on recovery of short-swing profits are absolute and do not depend on whether a person has Material Nonpublic Information. In order to avoid trading activity that could inadvertently trigger a short-swing profit, it is the Company’s policy that no executive officer, director and 10% shareholder of the Company who has a 10b5-1 Plan in place may engage in voluntary purchases or sales of Company securities outside of and while such 10b5-1 Plan remains in place.
INQUIRIES
Please direct your questions as to any of the matters discussed in this Policy to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer.
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Exhibit B
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
INSIDER TRADING COMPLIANCE PROGRAM - PRE-CLEARANCE CHECKLIST
| Individual Proposing to Trade: | ||
| Number of Shares covered by Proposed Trade: | ||
| Date: | ||
| ☐ | Trading Window. Confirm that the trade will be made during the Company’s “trading window.” |
| ☐ | Section 16 Compliance. Confirm, if the individual is subject to Section 16, that the proposed trade will not give rise to any potential liability under Section 16 as a result of matched past (or intended future) transactions. Also, ensure that a Form 4 has been or will be completed and will be timely filed. |
| ☐ | Prohibited Trades. Confirm, if the individual is subject to Section 16, that the proposed transaction is not a “short sale,” put, call or other prohibited or strongly discouraged transaction. |
| ☐ | Rule 144 Compliance (as applicable). Confirm that: |
| ☐ | Current public information requirement has been met; |
| ☐ | Shares are not restricted or, if restricted, the one year holding period has been met; |
| ☐ | Volume limitations are not exceeded (confirm that the individual is not part of an aggregated group); |
| ☐ | The manner of sale requirements have been met; and |
| ☐ | The Notice of Form 144 Sale has been completed and filed. |
| ☐ | Rule 10b-5 Concerns. Confirm that (i) the individual has been reminded that trading is prohibited when in possession of any material information regarding the Company that has not been adequately disclosed to the public, and (ii) the Insider Trading Compliance Officer has discussed with the individual any information known to the individual or the Insider Trading Compliance Officer which might be considered material, so that the individual has made an informed judgment as to the presence of inside information. |
| ☐ | Rule 10b5-1 Matters. Confirm whether the individual has implemented, or proposes to implement, a pre-arranged trading plan under Rule 10b5-1. If so, obtain details of the plan. |
| Signature of Insider Trading Compliance Officer |
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Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF THE
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
RULE 13a-14(a) AND RULE 15d-14(a)
UNDER THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Paul Grinberg, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b) | (Paragraph intentionally omitted pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a)); |
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Date: March 20, 2026 | By: | /s/ Paul Grinberg |
| Paul Grinberg | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF THE
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
RULE 13a-14(a) AND RULE 15d-14(a)
UNDER THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Douglas Horlick, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mountain Lake Acquisitions Corp. II; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b) | (Paragraph intentionally omitted pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a)); |
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Date: March 20, 2026 | By: | /s/ Douglas Horlick |
| Douglas Horlick | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
| (Principal Financial Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF THE
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Paul Grinberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
| 1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and |
| 2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of and for the period covered by the Report. |
| Date: March 20, 2026 | By: | /s/ Paul Grinberg |
| Paul Grinberg | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF THE
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Douglas Horlick, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
| 1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and |
| 2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of and for the period covered by the Report. |
| Date: March 20, 2026 | By: | /s/ Douglas Horlick |
| Douglas Horlick | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
| (Principal Financial Officer) |
Exhibit 97
MOUNTAIN LAKE ACQUISITION CORP. II
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION CLAWBACK POLICY
Adopted as of January 5, 2026
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) has adopted the following executive compensation clawback policy (this “Policy”). This Policy shall supplement any other clawback or compensation recovery policy or policies adopted by the Company or included in any agreement between the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, and a person covered by this Policy. If any such other policy or agreement provides that a greater amount of compensation shall be subject to clawback, such other policy or agreement shall apply to the amount in excess of the amount subject to clawback under this Policy.
This Policy shall be interpreted to comply with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rule 10D-1 and Listing Rule 5608 (the “Listing Rule”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”), as may be amended or supplemented and interpreted from time to time by Nasdaq. To the extent this Policy is in any manner deemed inconsistent with the Listing Rule, this Policy shall be treated as having been amended to be compliant with the Listing Rule.
1. Definitions. Unless the context indicates otherwise the following definitions apply for purposes of this Policy:
(a) Executive Officer. An executive officer is the Company’s chief executive officer and/or president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president of the Company in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company. Executive officers of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries are deemed executive officers of the Company if they perform such policy making functions for the Company. Policy-making function is not intended to include policy-making functions that are not significant. Identification of an executive officer for purposes of the Listing Rule would include at a minimum executive officers identified in the Listing Rule.
(b) Financial Reporting Measures. Financial reporting measures are measures that are determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from such measures. Stock price and total shareholder return are also financial reporting measures. A financial reporting measure need not be presented within the financial statements or included in a filing with the SEC and may be such financial measures as may be determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee thereof (the “Compensation Committee”).
(c) Incentive-Based Compensation. Incentive-based compensation is any compensation that is granted, earned or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a financial reporting measure.
(d) Received. Incentive-based compensation is deemed “received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the financial reporting measure specified in the incentive-based compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of the incentive-based compensation occurs after the end of that period.
2. Application of this Policy. This recovery of Incentive-Based Compensation from an Executive Officer as provided for in this Policy shall apply only in the event that the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of Company with any financial reporting requirement under the United States securities laws, including any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period.
3. Recovery Period.
(a) The Incentive-Based Compensation subject to recovery is the Incentive-Based Compensation Received during the three (3) completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date that the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement as described in Section 2 above, provided that the person served as an Executive Officer at any time during the performance period applicable to the Incentive-Based Compensation in question. The date that the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement shall be determined pursuant to the Listing Rule.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Policy shall only apply if the Incentive-Based Compensation is Received (i) while the Company has a class of securities listed on Nasdaq and (ii) on or after October 2, 2023.
(c) The provisions of the Listing Rule shall apply with respect to Incentive-Based Compensation received during a transition period arising due to a change in the Company’s fiscal year.
4. Erroneously Awarded Compensation. The amount of Incentive-Based Compensation subject to recovery from the applicable Executive Officers under this Policy (“Erroneously Awarded Compensation”) shall be equal to the amount of Incentive-Based Compensation Received that exceeds the amount of Incentive Based-Compensation that otherwise would have been Received had it been determined based on the restated amounts and shall be computed without regard to any taxes paid. For Incentive-Based Compensation based on stock price or total shareholder return, where the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in an accounting restatement: (a) the amount shall be based on a reasonable estimate by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (or principal accounting officer, if the office of Chief Financial Officer is not then filled) of the effect of the accounting restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive-Based Compensation was received, which estimate shall be subject to the review and approval of the Compensation Committee; and (b) the Company must maintain reasonable documentation of the determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to Nasdaq if requested. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the proposed Incentive-Based Compensation recovery would affect compensation paid to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, the determination shall be made by the Compensation Committee.
5. Timing of Recovery. The Company shall recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation reasonably promptly except to the extent that the conditions of paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) below apply. The Compensation Committee shall determine the repayment schedule for each amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation in a manner that complies with this “reasonably promptly” requirement. Such determination shall be consistent with any applicable legal guidance by the SEC, Nasdaq, judicial opinion, or otherwise. The determination of “reasonably promptly” may vary from case to case and the Compensation Committee is authorized to adopt additional rules or policies to further describe what repayment schedules satisfy this requirement.
(a) Erroneously Awarded Compensation need not be recovered if the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing (or making determinations in connection with the enforcement of) this Policy would exceed the amount to be recovered and the Compensation Committee has made a determination that recovery would be impracticable. Before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation based on expense of enforcement, the Company shall (i) make a reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, (ii) document such reasonable attempt or attempts to recover, and (iii) provide appropriate documentation to the Compensation Committee or Nasdaq, if requested.
(b) Erroneously Awarded Compensation need not be recovered if recovery would violate home country law where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022. Before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation based on a violation of home country law, the Company shall obtain an opinion of home country counsel, in form and substance that would be reasonably acceptable to Nasdaq, that recovery would result in such a violation and shall provide such opinion to Nasdaq, if requested.
(c) Erroneously Awarded Compensation need not be recovered if recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and the regulations thereunder (as such provision may be amended, modified or supplemented).
6. Compensation Committee Decisions. Decisions of the Compensation Committee with respect to this Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Executive Officers subject to this Policy.
7. No Indemnification. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other policy of the Company or any agreement between the Company and an Executive Officer, no Executive Officer shall be indemnified by the Company against the loss arising from the recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation.
8. Agreement to Policy by Executive Officers. The Company shall take reasonable steps to inform Executive Officers of this Policy and obtain their express agreement to this Policy, which steps may constitute the inclusion of this Policy as an attachment to any award that is accepted by an Executive Officer. This Policy shall be deemed to apply to each employment or grant agreement between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any Executive Officer subject to this Policy.
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